Polysyndeton

Polysyndeton

Polysyndeton is the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy"). It is a stylistic scheme used to slow the rhythm of prose and can add an air of solemnity to a passage. In grammar, a polysyndetic coordination is a coordination in which all conjuncts are linked by coordinating conjunctions (usually "and", "but", or "or" in English).

Polysyndeton is used extensively in the King James Version of the Bible. For example:

*And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. Genesis 7:22-24

*Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Leviticus 5:1-3

Writers of modern times have also used the scheme:

*"I said, 'Who killed him?' and he said 'I don't know who killed him, but he's dead all right,' and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights or windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Key and she was right only she was full of water." Ernest Hemingway, "After the Storm"

It can be contrasted with asyndeton, which is a coordination containing no conjunctions, and syndeton, with one conjunction.

References

* Corbett, Edward P.J.. "Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student". Oxford University Press, New York, 1971

*

External links

* [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/polysyndeton.htm Audio illustrations of polysyndeton]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Polysyndeton — Pol y*syn de*ton, n. [NL., from Gr. poly s many + ? bound together, fr. ? to bind together; ? with + ? to bind.] (Rhet.) A figure by which the conjunction is often repeated, as in the sentence, We have ships and men and money and stores. Opposed… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Polysyndĕton — Polysyndĕton, Redefigur, Häufung von Verbindungspartikeln, um entweder den raschen Gang der Rede aufzuhalten u. dadurch die Aufmerksamkeit auf gewisse Vorstellungen festzuhalten (z.B. drauf erhebt er sich wieder u. ist noch u. denket u. fluchet,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Polysyndĕton — (griech.), s. Asyndeton …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Polysyndeton — Polysyndeton, in der Grammatik ungewöhnliche Satzverbindung durch mehre Bindewörter …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • polysyndeton — [päl΄i sin′də tän΄, päl΄i sin′dətən] n. [ModL < neut. of LGr polysyndetos, using many conjunctions < Gr poly , POLY + syndetos, bound together < syndein, to bind together: see SYNDETIC] Rhetoric the use or repetition of conjunctions in… …   English World dictionary

  • Polysyndeton — Das Polysyndeton (Plural Polysyndeta; v. griech. polys „viel“, syndetos „zusammengebunden“) ist eine Rhetorische Figur aus der Gruppe der Wortverbindungen. Das Gegenteil hierzu ist das Asyndeton. Beim Polysyndeton handelt es sich um eine gehäufte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Polysyndeton — Po|ly|sỵn|de|ton 〈n.; s, de|ta; Sprachw.〉 durch Bindewörter verbundene Wortreihe, z. B. und es wallet und siedet und brauset und zischt (Schiller, „Der Taucher“); Ggs Asyndeton [<grch. polys „viel“ + syn „zusammen“ + dein „binden“] * * *… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Polysyndeton — Po|ly|syn|de|ton das; s, ...ta <aus gleichbed. gr. polysýndeton, eigtl. »das vielfach Verbundene«> Wort od. Satzreihe, deren Glieder durch ↑Konjunktionen miteinander verbunden sind (z. B. Und es wallet und siedet und brauset und zischt;… …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • polysyndeton — noun Etymology: New Latin, from Late Greek, neuter of polysyndetos using many conjunctions, from Greek poly + syndetos bound together, conjunctive more at asyndeton Date: circa 1577 repetition of conjunctions in close succession (as in we have… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Polysyndeton — См. polisìndeto …   Пятиязычный словарь лингвистических терминов

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