End of Year Language Terms Review #4

Inference

a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence

malapropism

the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar (the doctor wrote a subscription)

Pathos

a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)

polysyndeton

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (he ran and laughed and jumped for joy)

satire

language or writing that exposes follies or abuses by holding them up to ridicule

symbolism

a device in literature where an object represents an idea

anadiplosis

repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next (anger leads to hate, hate leads to…)

anecdote

short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

aphorism

a brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life

appositive

a word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun (my father, Bob, worked for NASA)

asyndeton

lack of conjuctions between coordinate phrases, clauses or words (we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardships, support any friend, oppose any…)

ethos

an appeal to ethics, conscience, morals, values, principles

homily

the term literally means “sermon,” but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice

logos

an appeal based on logic or reason

periodic sentence

presents the main clause at the end of the sentence, for emphasis (despite Barbara’s irritation at Jack, she loved him)

persona

the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

stream of consciousness

the continuous flow of ideas and feelings that constitute an individual’s conscious experience

synthesis

the combination of separate parts into a unified whole

voice

the fluency, rhythm and liveliness in writing that makes it unique to the writer

zeugma

when a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them (He closed the door and his heart on his lost love)