- Paradiastole
Paradiastole (Greek, from παρα, "para", next to, alongside, and στολη, "stole", dress, dressing up) is the use of
euphemism to soften the force of naming a vice or a virtue.Silva Rhetoricae (2006). [http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Figures/P/paradiastole.htm Paradiastole] ] It is often used ironically. In biblical studies it has come to mean the repetition of disjunctive words in a list.Euphemism
Paradiastole can be used to make a negative trait appear a positive one, for instance, calling someone "confident" instead of "vain." This tactic is commonly used in the comic strip
Frank and Ernest . The character Ernest will attempt to sell an object which has some flaw (such as a car that doesn't start half the time), Frank will comment on the flaw, and then Ernest will use paradiastole to turn the flaw on its head (in this case, the car has a "very quiet engine").The Cartoonist Group (2006). [http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=13440 Frank and Ernest April 9, 2006] ]Paradiastole can also be used disparagingly. For instance, calling someone "stingy" instead of "frugal".
Biblical Usage
In biblical studies, paradiastole is a type of
anaphora (the repetition of one word at the beginning of successive sentences). Paradiastole uses a few words--either, or, neither, not, and nor--used as disjunctions. A "dis"junction differs from a "con"junction because it separates things, where as a conjunction joins them.An example of this technique can be found in the
Gospel of John . John, clarifying the meaning of τέκνα θεοῦ (God's children), writes::οἳ [πιστεύοντες] :οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων :οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς :οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς :ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. (John 1.13).University of York (2006). [http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~fisher/gnt/ Greek New Testament] ]
:They [the believers] , :not of blood, :nor of the flesh's desire,:nor of a man's desire,:but of God were born.
In this passage, οὐκ and οὐδὲ (here translated "not" and "nor") function as the disjunctions. The paradiastole emphasizes that those who believed (οἳ πιστεύοντες) and became "God's children" were not"physically" ("of blood", etc.) born again, but "divinely."
References
:Cuddon, J.A., ed. "The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory." 3rd ed. Penguin Books: New York, 1991.ee also
* [http://www.frankandernest.com Frank and Ernest]
*Meiosis (figure of speech)
*litotes
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