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Terminology

• anaphora - repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis.
  Example: Catullus, poem 5:
  Da mi basia mille, deinde centum
  dein mille altera, dein secunda centum
  deinde usque alter mille, deinde centum.
  
  
• apostrophe - a pretended turning away from one's audience to address another.
  Example: Catullus, poem 3:
  O factum male! O miselle passer!
  
  
• asyndeton - absence of a conjunction where it is expected.
  Example: Catullus, 62
  quem mulcent aurae, firmat sol, educat timber.
  
  
• caesura - regular pause of a metrical foot, usually in mid-line, by the end of a word. It is marked with // and serves to let the reader pause.
  Example: Horace- Ode 1.22:
  Integer vitae // scelerisque purus
  
  
• chiasmus - a crisscross arrangement of words. (see also hyperbaton)
  Example: Horace -Ode 1.22:
  Integer vitae scelerisque purus = adjective noun noun adjective
  
  
• consonance - repetition of the same consonance sound in the middle of a line or at the end of a line.
  Example: Catullus-51:
  lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus
  
  
• diaeresis - a pause in mid-line where the end of a word matches the end of a metrical foot. In elegaic couplet, it usually occurs in the center of a pentameter. It functions much the same as caesura. This word also refers to the division of one syllable into 2 by separating the vowel elements of a diphthong
  Example:
  
  
• diminutive - any noun or adjective to which the suffix -ulus or -olus is added. It expresses affection and intimacy. Infrequently it can be used to show contempt or seek pity or consolation.
  Example: Catullus, poem 12:
  ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum
  
  
• elision - elimination of a final syllable of a word when it ends in a vowel and the following word begins with a vowel, diphthong or an unaspirated 'h'.
  Example: Horace, Ode 1.37:
  aus(a) et iacentem visere regiam
  
  
• ellipsis - omission of a necessary word, usually a form of 'esse' either when it should be included as the main verb or as part of a passive voice construction.
  Example: Horace, Ode 22:
  sive facturus per inhospitalem
  
  
• epigram - any short, usually witty or satiric poem often written in elegaic couplet. Martial is the master writer of Latin epigrams.
  Example: Martial, I.75:
  Dimidium donare, Lino quam credere totum
  qui mavult, mavult perdere dimidium.
  Whoever prefers to give Linus half than to entrust the whole, prefers to loss the half.
  
  
• golden line - a dactylic hexameter line with two substantive adjectives and a verb between. Usually this is a five word line arranged as adjective, adjective verb noun noun.
  Example: Catullus, poem 64.59:
  irrita ventosae linquens promissa procellae
  
  
• hendiadys - the use of two nouns and a conjunction where a noun modified by an adjective might make more sense in English.
  Example: Catullus 14:
  novum ac repertum = newly discovered
  
  
• hiatus - a yawning in meter, when two words would be normally elided by are not.
  Example: Catullus, poem 12:
  ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum
  
  
• hyerbaton - conscientious separation of words which would usually be together. This allows the poet to position words for emphasis and sound rather than grammar. Chiasmus, Golden Line make use of this technique.
  Example: Catullus, 14:
  totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.
  
  
• litotes - understatement or double negative to intensify a comment
  Example: Catullus, poem 13:
  non sine candida puella
  
  
• metonymy - change of a name for a concept; using a symbol of a noun, rather than the noun itself.
  Example: Horace, 1.22:
  ...malusque Iuppiter urget. - Jupiter is the heavens, the sky and with 'malus' denotes 'bad weather'.
  
  
• oxymoron - juxtaposition of opposite words. A paradox is often stated, especially in English, but in Latin it can be merely the placement of words.
  Example: Catullus, poem 5:
  omnes unius - all (rumors worth) one (penny)
  
  
• polyptoton - repetition of key words with slight variations of the spellings or endings
  Example: Catullus, poem 4:
  gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris - nominative and genitive forms of Castor are used here.
  
  
• polysyndeton - use of unnecessary conjunctions (et, ...que, atque, nec ...) in a series of words, phrases or clauses
  Example: Catullus, 76:
  Quin tu animo offirmas atque istinc teque reducis
  et dis invitis desinis esse miser?
  
  
• synchysis - interlocked word order- deterring from the using prose word order to give emphasis to specific words.
  Example:
  
  
• syncopation - elimination of letters from a word-usually perfect tense verb forms
  Example: Catullus, 13:
  donarunt Veneres = donaverunt Veneres
  
  
• synecdoche - use of a part to represent the whole.
  Example:
  
  
• tmesis - separation of two parts of a compound word by intervening word or phrase.
  
  
• zeugma - the use of one verb for two or more clauses.
  Example:

Joan Jahnige 2000

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