Schemata Lexeos: The Figures Defined (Patreon)

FIGURES IN THE WORK

Here is the list of figures in Schēmata Lexeōs by Lupus, with Romanized name of each, etymology of the Greek terms, and a brief definition in English. As always, the Greek words will be said in Romaic Lucian Pronunciation.

BOOK 1

1.

Προσαπόδοσις

Prosapodosis

πρὸς “towards,” ἀπό “from,” δίδωμι “give”

When two or more statements follow one another, and the reason for each is given either after each statement, or after the whole series.

2.

Συναθροισμός

Synathroesmus

συναθροίζω “gather together”

When two or more dissimilar words are collected to describe the subject.

3.

Παρονομασίᾱ

Paronomasia

παρά “beside,” ὄνομα “name”

A play on words that sound alike, but have different senses.

4.

Παραδιαστολή

Paradiastolē

παρά “beside,” διά “through,” στέλλω “make ready”

When the author or speaker takes words that have a similar meaning but contrasts them sharply.

5.

Ανάκλασις

Anaclasis

ἀνακλάω “bend back”

This figure occurs when that which is said by the other person is used by the speaker with a different meaning.

6.

Ἀντιμεταβολή

Antimetabolē

ἀντί “before,” μετά “after,” βάλλω “throw”

A transposition of words, such as “He doesn’t eat to live; he lives to eat.”

7.

Ἐπιβολή

Epibolē

ἐπί “on,” βάλλω “throw”

Repeating the same first word in several clauses or sentences.

8.

Ἐπιφορᾱ́

Epiphora

ἐπί “on,” φέρω “carry”

A succession of clauses ending in the same word.

9.

Κοινότης

Coenotēs

κοινός “common”

In this figure, the first, third, fifth (etc.) sentence begins with one word, while the second, fourth, sixth (etc.) sentence ends with another.

10.

Πολύπτωτον

Polyptōton

πολύς “much,” πτῶσις “case”

Employment of the same word in various grammatical cases.

11.

Ἐπανάληψις

Epanalēpsis

ἐπί “on,” ἀνά “back,” λαμβάνω “take”

Repetition of words that close one sentence at the beginning of another.

12.

Διαφορᾱ́

Diaphora

“διαφέρω” carry across

The repetition of a noun, first to signify the person or people it describes, then to signify its meaning.

13.

Ἐπιπλοκή

Epiplocē

ἐπιπλοκή “plaiting together”

Repetition of the last word in a sentence at the beginning of the next.

14.

Πολυσύνδετον

Polysyndeton

σύν “with,” δέω “bind”

Using many conjunctions or connecting particles.

15.

Διάλυσις

Dialysis

διά “through,” λῡ́ω “dissolve”

Using few or no conjunctions or connecting particles.

16.

Μετάνοια

Metanoea

μετά “change,” νοέω “perceive”

A rhetorical figure where the speaker changes his mind or corrects himself.

17.

Παρένθεσις

Parethesis

παρά “beside,” τίθημι “put”

Interrupting a sentence for a parenthetical thought.

18.

Μερισμός

Merismus

μέρος “part, division”

A rhetorical device in which a combination of two contrasting parts of the whole refer to the whole.

19.

Παρομολογίᾱ

Paromologia

παρά “beside,” ὁμολογέω “agree”

A figure in which the speaker makes a partial agreement with the opponent.

20.

Ἀναγκαῖον

Anancaeon

ἀναγκή “necessity”

Demonstrating the necessity of certain actions.

21.

Ἠθοποιίᾱ

Ēthopoeia

ἦθος “character,” ποιέω “make”

The building up of character (whether good or bad) of a person.

BOOK 2

22.

Μετάβασις

Metabasis

μετά “change,” βαίνω “move”

Transition from one subject to another.

23.

Ἀλλοίωσις

Alloeōsis

ἀλλοιόω “make different”

This figure is a division or separation of characters or things, and a demonstration of how different they are.

24.

Δικαιολογίᾱ

Dicaeologia

δική “justice,” λόγος “speech”

A plea for justice.

25.

Πρόληψις

Prolēpsis

πρό “before,” λαμβάνω “take”

Anticipation of the opponent’s or judge’s preconception, addressing it before it is mentioned.

26.

Ὁρισμός

Horismus

ὅρος “boundary”

Definition of terms.

27.

Προσωποποιίᾱ

Prosōpopoeia

πρόσωπον “character,” ποιέω “make”

Personification of inanimate things, or the dramatization of people by speaking on their behalf.

28.

Χαρακτηρισμός

Charactērismus

χαρακτήρ “character”

Detailed characterization of a subject.

29.

Βραχυλογίᾱ

Brachylogia

βραχύς “short,” λόγος “speech”

Brevity in speech or writing.

30.

Συνοικείωσις

Synoecēōsis

συνοικέω “live together”

When heterogeneous things are combined or attributed to one person.

31.

Ἀπορίᾱ

Aporia

ἀπορέω “be at a loss”

Speaking as if at a loss what to say.

32.

Παρασιώπησις

Parasiōpēsis

παρά “beside,” σιωπάω “be silent”

Not mentioning a thing that the audience already knows, or exciting anticipation for the thing by not mentioning it.

33.

Παρόμοιον

Paromoeon

παρά “beside,” ὅμοιος “same”

A strong rhyme, especially with accent aligning between the words.

34.

Ὁμοιόπτωτον

Homoeoptōton

ὅμοιος “same,” πτῶσις “case”

Using the same case or conjugation endings of different words, forming a rhyme.

35.

Ὁμοιοτέλευτον

Homoeoteleuton

ὅμοιος “same,” τέλος “ending”

The like ending of two or more clauses or verses, making a rhyme that is less noticeable than paromoeon.

36.

Ἰσόκωλον

Isocōlon

ἴσος “equal,” κῶλον “member”

A sentence consisting of equal members.

37.

Ἀντίθετον

Antitheton

ἀντί “opposite,” τίθημι “put”

Antithesis.

38.

Ἐπιτροπή

Epitropē

ἐπί “upon,” τρέπω “turn”

Being so confident in the strength of his argument, the speaker leaves the decision in the capable hands of the judges.

39.

Παῤῥησίᾱ

Parrhēsia

πᾶς “all,” ῥῆσις “speech”

Outspokenness, frankness, freedom of speech, claimed by the Athenians as their privilege, and used in rhetoric to make clear one’s argument.

40.

Αἰτιολογίᾱ

Aetiologia

αἰτίᾱ “cause, fault,” λόγος “speech”

Giving the cause of a thing.

41.

Τάξις

Taxis

“τάξις” order

When each thing is distinguished by the meaning of the final word in a series of clauses.