linguistic techniques Flashcards
the ones you should know anyways
- rhetoric - pathos, ethos, logos
- alliteration; words w same letter or sound
- metaphor
- anadiplosis
- hyperbole, litotes
- anaphora
- hyperbaton; the word arrangment in a sentence is different than normal. could be inverted or any other order
- hypophora
- chiasmus; inverted parallel clauses
- onomatopoeia
- oxymoron
- parallelism
- repetition
anacoluthon
- syntactic deviation or incoherency
- grammatical flow of sentences is interrupted to begin more sentences
- the sentence suddenly stops following its expected path.
- Dashes (or ellipses, abrupt sentence breaks, and self-interruptions) often signal an anacoluthon, but they aren’t the anacoluthon itself. Anacoluthon is the actual disruption in grammatical structure—the moment where the expected syntax breaks down or shifts unexpectedly.
antanaclasis
repetition of a word or phrase, but the second occurrence uses it in a different/contrasting meaning
antiphrasis
usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to generally accepted meaning
saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that its obvious what the true intention is; thus the phrase is employed in a way that is opposite to its literal meaning
antonomasia
using an epithet/title in place of a proper name
apophasis
raising of an issue by claiming not to raise or mention it
aporia
speaker expresses real or intended doubt for rhetorical effect, to prove a point. often takes the form of a question, to denote uncertainty and occurs frequently in speeches
EG: the famous Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem which begins, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Browning’s pretense that she might not remember all “the ways” is what gives her an opportunity to enumerate them.
cacophony
harsh sounds
chiasmus
inverted parallel phrases
dysphemism
opposite of euphemism, making it seem worse
hyperbaton
changing of word order to prove point and lend emphasis
hypophora
speaker immediately answering question speak posed, type of rhetorical question
litotes
understatement by using the negative to reference the positives
‘not a bad singer’
pleonasm
redundancy, using more words than necessary
hypallage
when words in a sentence are swapped around in a way that changes their usual relationship. The most common type is when a describing word (adjective) is linked to the wrong thing grammatically, even though it makes sense in meaning.
eg:
“A sleepless night” → The night itself isn’t sleepless, but the person experiencing it is.
“A happy morning” → The morning isn’t happy; the people enjoying it are.
This kind of hypallage is also called a transferred epithet because the adjective is describing something indirectly, often making the sentence more poetic or vivid.
syllepsis/zeugma
figure of speech in which a single phrase or word joins different parts of a sentence
When he asked ‘What in heaven?’ she made no reply, up her mind, and a dash for the door.
When the meaning of a verb varies for following nouns there is an order for the nouns: the first takes the most literal meaning of the verb, followed by noun/s taking the more figurative verb meanings:
“The boy swallowed milk and kisses,” as contrasted with “The boy swallowed kisses and milk”.
The opposite process tends to create a comic effect: “and she feeds me love and tenderness and macaroons.”
synecdoche
metonymy
a part is used to refer to the whole . allows for unique expression of that whole (to say, object or idea)
object or idea takes the place of another with which it has a close association. is a way of replacing an object with something related to it instead of what is actually meant. enables writers to express in a different way by using a closely related word or thought. Therefore, this is a method for writers to vary their expression and produce an effect for the reader.
congeries
piling up of words or phrases in a listing format, often for irony
cumulative sentence
starts with an ind clause, then has an additional or modifying one
often used for clarification, contextualising
eg i ran to the store to buy milk, bread, and grapes.
- ‘i ran to the store’ being the ind clause
epistrophe
opposite of anaphora; word or phrase is repeated at the end of a sentence. used for emphasis
isocolon
two+ phrases have similar structure, rhythm and length
poly/asyndeton
poly: repeated use of conjunctions
asy: the omission of conjunctions for dramatic effect
euphemism
subtle phrasing to soften harsh realities
opposite of dysphemism
colloquial language
use of slang and dialect
parataxis
short simple sentences placed together without conjunctions creating fast paced rhythm
used for impact
Parataxis can be used for both clauses and sentences! It’s a stylistic choice where clauses or sentences are placed side by side without using conjunctions (or with minimal use), giving a sense of equal weight and directness.
hypotaxis
use of subordinate clause to create complexity
clauses are arranged in a hierarchical, dependent manner, showing a clear logical relationship between them. It often involves subordinate clauses that provide explanations, conditions, reasons, or elaborations, making the sentence complex and structured.
EG “Because I was late, I missed the beginning of the lecture.”,, “Although she was exhausted, she continued working because she had a deadline to meet.”
in Othello’s speech, uses hypotaxis to reflect his thoughtful, controlled, and sometimes conflicted mind. Eg: She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them. demonstrates a rational approach to love.
“Blessed fig’s-end! The wine she drinks is made of grapes: if she had been blessed, she would never have loved the Moor.”
The conditional clause “if she had been blessed” subordinates the idea that Desdemona’s love is unnatural. The hypotactic structure makes Iago’s logic seem convincing, even though it’s deceptive
parenthesis
interruptions in sentences to add detail or commentary
dependent/subordinate clause
group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought/meaning. it cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be connected to an independent clause to make sense.
periodic sentence
witholds its main clause until end for dramatic effect
the main clause or the main point comes at the end, after one or more subordinate clauses or phrases. It creates a sense of suspense or buildup because the meaning is not clear until the final clause.
loose sentence
main clause comes first, opposite of periodic
elliptical sentence
missing words
assonance
consonance
rep of vowel sounds
rep of consonant sounds
chiasmus
a reversal in structure of phrases
idiolect
someones individual way of speaking
hedges & modality
words expressing uncertainty
deixis
words eg this/that depends on context
discourse markers
g
diction and contrast in diction
g
circumlocution
overly elaborate language to avoid directness
Anastrophe
Anastrophe is a figure of speech wherein the traditional sentence structure is reversed. So a typical verb-subject-adjective sentence such as “Are you ready?” becomes a Yoda-esque adjective-verb-subject question: “Ready, are you?” Or a standard adjective-noun pairing like “tall mountain” becomes “mountain tall.”
Erotesis
Erotesis is a close cousin of the rhetorical question. Rather than a question asked without expectation of an answer, this is when the question (and the asker) confidently expects a response that is either negative or affirmative.
Example: “Do you then really think that you have committed your follies in order to spare your son them?” — Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Eutrepismus
stating your points in a numbered list, so as to structure your speech, or dialogue.
Euphony
Pleasing sound patterns
Correlative conjunction
Either or
Neither nor
Metanoia
Definition: Correcting or softening a statement.
Effect: Adds nuance or humility.
Example: He was the best writer — no, the most visionary writer — of his generation.
Aposiopesis
Definition: A deliberate breaking off of a sentence, leaving it unfinished.
Effect: Suggests overwhelming emotion, threat, or the unspeakable.
“Aposiopesis” = emotional cut-off
“Anacoluthon” = thought-train derailment
Semiotics
Study of symbols and signs and how visual communication works
Media uses signs to communicate messages
Relays
Advancing written meaning often with visual communication like images
Anchorage
Text interacting with image
Procatalepsis
When a speaker anticipates an objection or counterargument and addresses it before the audience can raise it.
Strengthens argument by showing awareness of opposing views
- Makes the speaker appear rational, prepared, and persuasive
- Helps control the flow of the discourse and pre-empt resistance
- Can be used to undermine opposing positions without waiting for interruption
- An ethos-building strategy (showing credibility through fairness or foresight)
Satire
Exposing and ridiculing flaws in an individual or a society
Horatian satire
Mild clever witty
Intends to heal situation with smiles
Juvenelian satire
Employed to ridicule and attack political figure
It is contemptuous, abrasive, expresses anger, outraged
Techniques: irony, sarcasm, moral indignation, personal invective (use of rhetorical skill to attack with abrasive language)
(illustrative analysis)
graphic weight
the way some images draw the eye more than others. due to illustration making it more eye catching eg thicker lines, unique shading
(illustrative analysis)
panel
individual frame/ single drawing in the multi panel
open panel
full page spread
special effects lettering
motion strokes
who knows, theyre just there
frame
the lines and borders that contain the panel
shading and colour
lends weight, shows feelings and moods
gutter
space between framed panels, indicates a shift (panel to panel); guides readers on narrative journey
bleed
image that extends to +/ beyond the end of th page, no frame
layout
how panels are arranged on a page, their relative size etc
fore/mid/background
they provide story support and establish mood. subtextual information showing the main focus, which can be in any ground
captions
boxes containing text elements
splash page
introduces different themes; like the chapter page
