Polyptoton

Polyptoton is the stylistic scheme in which words derived from the same root are repeated (e.g. "strong" and "strength"). A related stylistic device is antanaclasis, in which the same word is repeated, but each time with a different sense. In inflected languages polyptoton is the same word being repeated but appearing each time in a different case. (e.g. "Iuppiter," "Iovis," "Iovi," "Iovem," "Iove" [in Latin being the nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative forms of Iuppiter (Jupiter), respectively] ).

Examples

*"The Greeks are "strong", and "skillful" to their "strength", "Fierce" to their "skill", and to their "fierceness" valiant;" William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida, I, i, 7-8
*"With eager "feeding" "food" doth choke the "feeder"." William Shakespeare Richard II II,i,37
*"Not as a call to "battle", though "embattled" we are." John F. Kennedy, "Inaugural Address", January 20, 1961.
*"Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to "fear" is "fear" itself." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "First Inaugural Address", March 1933.
*"Thou art of "blood", joy not to make things "bleed"." Sir Philip Sidney
*"We have been..."treading trodden" trails for a long, long time." Dave Matthews Band, So Much to Say, 1996

References

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

ee also

*Antanaclasis
*Cognate object
*Figure of speech
*Rhetoric