What is periphrasis in figure of speech?

A roundabout way of referring to something by means of several words instead of naming it directly in a single word or phrase. Commonly known as ‘circumlocution’, periphrasis is often used in euphemisms like passed away for ‘died’, but can have a more emphatic effect in poetry, as in the use of kennings.

What is periphrasis and examples?

Periphrasis is the use of more words to say something than are necessary. An example of periphrasis is someone saying they believe they are able to attend an event, rather than just saying “yes, I’ll be there.”

What is the point of periphrasis?

Periphrasis is both a grammatical principle and manner of speaking that uses more words than necessary to evoke a certain meaning. Some examples of periphrasis are purposeful in order to evade a taboo subject, such as in the case of innuendo and euphemism, or to adorn a sentence in a poetic way.

What is Polyptoton and periphrasis?

Shelley combines polyptoton with periphrastic naming, which is the technique of referring to someone using several indirect names. The creature in Frankenstein is referred to by many terms, such as “fiend”, “devil”, “being”, and “ogre”. However, the first term that Shelley uses in reference to the creature is “wretch”.

Why do authors use periphrasis?

Periphrasis might be used for many different reasons. Among these are that the writer or speaker wants the reader to be confused, or the person stating the thought is attempting to appear more intelligent by talking around the point and using “big words.”

Does periphrasis do English grammar?

Put very simply, do-periphrasis refers to the use of do as an auxiliary (helping) verb. The English language contains two forms of the verb do: a lexical verb and an auxiliary verb. The lexical do is considered a “true” verb, used in sentences like (a) and (b) below.

How do you use periphrasis in a sentence?

Periphrasis in a Sentence 1. To get out of talking about a taboo subject, the speaker used periphrasis and rambled on and on rather poetically about other things. 2. Periphrasis can make speech long-winded but describing a bee as ‘a yellow and black winged thing’ can help a child learn a new word.

What is an example of Anthimeria?

“Anthimeria” is a rhetorical term for the creation of a new word or expression by using one part of speech or word class in place of another. For example, in the slogan for Turner Classic Movies, “Let’s Movie,” the noun “movie” is used as a verb.

What is a periphrasis in Spanish?

Explanation. Quick Answer. In Spanish, a verbal periphrasis is a verbal construction made of two verb forms, a conjugated form and an impersonal form (an infinitive, a present participle, or a past participle). Verbal periphrasis is used in the informal future, the present progressive, and the perfect tenses.

What is Auxesis literature?

Auxesis (Greek: αὔξησις, aúxēsis) is the Greek word for “growth” or “increase”. In rhetoric, it refers to varying forms of increase: hyperbole (overstatement): intentionally overstating a point, its importance, or its significance. climax (ascending series): a series of clauses of increasing force.

Why do authors use anthimeria?

Why Do Writers Use Anthimeria? Writers use anthimeria to make their writing more interesting and original. When a character uses a word in a new way, they’re also making a statement about who they are, where they’re from, and how they see the world.

What does a gerund periphrasis consist of?

A verb structure that will help you describe an ongoing action, in the present, past or future. First of all, we remind you that a verb periphrasis is a verb structure composed of two verbs. The first verb is conjugated, while the second one always uses the impersonal form; i.e. infinitive, past participle or gerund.

What is periphrasis?

Periphrasis originates from the Greek word periphrazein, which means “talking around.” It is a stylistic device that can be defined as the use of excessive and longer words to convey a meaning which could have been conveyed with a shorter expression, or in a few words.

What is the origin of the word’periphrasis’?

It’s easy enough to point out the origins of “periphrasis”: the word was borrowed into English in the early 16th century via Latin from Greek periphrazein, which in turn comes from the prefix peri-, meaning “all around,” and the verb “phrazein,” “to point out.”.

What is the root word of periphrastically?

[Latin, from Greek, from periphrazein, to express periphrastically : peri-, peri- + phrazein, to say; see g w hren- in Indo-European roots .] American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

How is periphrasis used to embellish sentences?

He illustrates the natural world as wild, while things are safe and calm inside the palace walls. From the above examples of periphrasis, one could surmise that this literary device is used to embellish sentences by creating splendid effects to draw readers’ attention.