Definition & Bedeutung von "syllepsis"

What is "syllepsis"?

Syllepsis is a figure of speech in which a single word is used in different ways with two or more other words, often creating a play on meanings or highlighting a contrast. This can involve a word that suits only one of the other words grammatically but is applied to both, or a word that has different meanings for each of the other words it connects. For example, in the sentence "He lost his coat and his temper", the verb "lost" is used with both "coat" and "temper", though it literally applies to only one of them. Similarly, in "Neither they nor it is working", the word "is" grammatically fits only "it" but is used with both "they" and "it". Syllepsis can add humor or depth by playing with the different meanings or grammatical roles of words.