GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND

LITERARY DEVICES
alliteration |əlɪtəˈreɪʃ(ə)n|  n a multiple repetition of an identical consonant sound
usually at the beginning of two or more words that are in close succession
allusion |əˈluːʒ(ə)n| n reference to some literary, historical, mythological, biblical,
etc. character or event commonly known
anadiplosis (ˌænədɪˈpləʊsɪs n repetition of the last word or phrase in one clause or
poetic line at the beginning of the next
anaphora (əˈnæfərə  ) or  (ˈænəˌfɔː) n repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of successive clauses or lines of verse
anticlimax æntiklaɪmæks   n a noticeable or ludicrous descent from lofty ideas or
expressions to banalities or commonplace remarks.
antithesis (æntɪθəsɪs n the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, phrases, or words so as
to produce an effect of balance, antonomasian the use of a proper name in place of a
common one or vice versa to emphasize some feature or quality
aposiopesis |ˌapə(ʊ)ˌsaɪəˈpiːsɪs| n a sudden intentional break in the narration or
dialogue assonance n a multiple repetition of an identical vowel sound usually at the
beginning of two or more words that are in close succession
Archaic |ɑːˈkeɪɪk words: obsolete, obsolescent, archair proper
Assonance |ˈæs(ə)nəns| is the repetition of similar vowels or diphthongs usually in
stressed syllables
asyndeton |əˈsɪndɪt(ə)n| n the omission of conjunctions between the parts of a
sentence belles lettresn works, esp essays and poetry, valued for their aesthetic rather
than their informative or moral content
Barbarisms (bɑːʳbərɪzəm) are words of foreign origin, which have not antirely been
assimilated into the English language
Bookish (bʊkɪʃ) words/common literary are mainly used in writing and in polished
speech
chiasmus |kæɪˈæzməs| n reversed parallelism of the structure of several sentences
(clauses)
cliché (kliːʃeɪ  n an expression or idea that has become trite
climax |ˈklæɪmæks| n a series of sentences clauses, or phrases are arranged in order
of increasing intensity
connotation |kɒnəˈteɪʃ(ə)n| n an association or idea suggested by a word or phrase;
implication denotation n a particular meaning, esp one given explicitly rather than by
suggestion
detachment  |dɪˈtætʃm(ə)nt| n a seemingly independent part of a sentence that
carries some additional information
device |dɪˈvaɪs| n a particular pattern of words, figures of speech, etc, used in
literature to produce an effect on the reader
ellipsis |ɪˈlɪpsɪs| n omission of parts of a sentence emotive adj of or characterized by
emotion
epiphora |ɪˈpɪf(ə)rə| n repetition of words or phrases at the end of consecutive
clauses or sentences
epithet |ˈepɪθet| n a word or a phrase expressing the author's subjective emotional
evaluation of an object, state or action
euphony |ˈjuːf(ə)nɪ| n a harmonious combination of sounds that create a pleasing
effect to the car
explicit |ɪkˈsplɪsɪt| adj clearly stated and leaving nothing implied
figure of speech na stylistic device
figures of contrast those based on the opposition (incompatibility)
gap-sentence link seemingly incoherent connection of two sentences based on an
unexpected semantic leap; the reader is supposed to grasp the implied motivation for
such connection
Genre |ˈʒɒnrə| n focuses on the conventional structures used to contrast a complete
text within the variety
graphon n intentional misspelling to show deviations from received pronunciation:
individual manner, mispronunciation, dialectal features, etc.
hyperbole |haɪˈpɜːbəlɪ| n a deliberate overstatement or exaggeration of a feature
essential to the object or phenomenon
imagery n figurative or descriptive language in a literary work
implicit adj implied: suggested or to be understood though not plainly expressed
inversion |ɪnˈvɜːʃ(ə)n| n a reversal of the normal order of words in a sentence
irony |ˈaɪrənɪ| n hidden mockery - based on the interplay of two meanings
jargon |ˈdʒɑːɡ(ə)n| n the language, esp. the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade,
profession or group
litotes  |laɪˈtəʊtiːz| n a two-component structure in which two negations are joined to
give a positive evaluation
meiosis |maɪˈəʊsɪs| n deliberate understatement
metaphor |ˈmetəfə(r)|  n a transfer of the name of an object to another object based
on the affinity similarity or likeness of certain properties or features of the two
corresponding concept
meter |ˈmiːtə| n rhythm in verse; measured patterned arrangement of syllables
according to stress or length
metonymy  |mɪˈtɒnɪmɪ| n transfer of name of one object onto another to which it is
related or of which it is a part
onomatopoeia |ˌɒnə(ʊ)mætəˈpiːə| n the formation of a word by imitating the natural
sound oratory n rhetorical skill or style
oxymoron |ˌɒksɪˈmɔːrɒn|  n a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory
ideas are combined
parallelism  |ˈpærəlelɪzəm| n the use of identical or similar parallel syntactic
structure in two or more sentences or their parts
paronomasia |ˌpærənəˈmeɪzɪə| n a figure of speech which involves a play on words
personification |pəˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n| n the attribution of human characteristics to
things, abstract ideas, etc
pleonasm |ˈpliːə(ʊ)ˌnæz(ə)m| n the use of more words than necessary
Poetic words belong to a definite style of language and perform in it their direct
function
polysyndeton (ˌpɒlɪˈsɪndɪtən  ) n the use of a number of conjunctions in close
succession simile n a figure of speech that expresses the resemblance of one thing to
another of a different category
Professionalisms are the words used in a definite trade, profession or calling by
people connected by common interests both at work or at home
Register |ˈredʒɪstə| n (1960s) combines an analysis of linguistic characteristics that
are common in a text variety with analysis of the situation of use of the variety
(spoken and written)
Rhyme |raɪm| is the repetition of the last stressed vowel and the following speech
sounds in two or more words
Rhythm |ˈrɪð(ə)m| is a reccuring stress pattern in poetry
Slang  |slæŋ| very informal words and expressions that are more common in spoken
language, eapecially used by a particular group of people
Style |staɪl| n the analysis of the use of core linguistic features that are distributed
throughout text samples from a variety
suspense |səˈspens| n a compositional device that consists in withholding the most
important information or idea till the end of the sentence, passage or text
synecdoche |sɪˈnekdəkɪ| n a figure of speech in which a part is substituted for a
whole or a whole for a part
tautology |tɔːˈtɒlədʒɪ| n needless repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase or
sentence; redundancy
Terms are generally associated with a definite branch of science and therefore with a
series of other terms belonging to that particular branch of science
transference   |ˈtrænsf(ə)r(ə)ns| n the act or process of transferring
Transposition |trænspəˈzɪʃ(ə)n| is a divergence between the traditional usage of a
neutral word or its stylistic usage
trope |trəʊp| n a figure of speech based on some kind of transfer of denomination
Versification |ˌvɜːsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən| is the art of writing verses
Vulgarism |ˈvʌlɡərɪz(ə)m| n a rude word or expression, especially one related to sex
zeugma |ˈzjuːɡmə| na figure of speech in which a word (usually a verb), is used to
modify or govern two or more words (usually nouns) although appropriate to only
one of them or making a different sense with each