Periphrasis
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Primary Editor: Ashley Ricciuti
Secondary Editor: Andrew Daraban
Poster: Brea Haywood
Definition, Etymology, and Usage
noun \pə-ˈri-frə-səs\ plural pe·riph·ra·ses
The definition of PERIPHRASIS , one of many literary Tropes, is the "use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression", or "an instance of periphrasis" [1]
It was first used in the 1530s, and comes from a Latin word meaning "circumlocution," or from the Greek, periphrazein, "to speak in a roundabout way," from peri- "round about" (see peri-) + phrazein "to express." [2]
Periphrasis is most often used to give the reader the sense that more detail has been doled out when the writer only needs to say one word or one short phrase.
TIME Magazine Article: "Elongated Yellow Fruit"
"This periphrasis so fascinated Charles W. Morton [a former associate editor of The Atlantic] . . . that he began collecting examples of 'Elongated Yellow Fruit' writing."
Examples:
- "In the New York Herald Tribune, a beaver was almost incognito as 'the furry, paddle-tailed mammal.'
- "The Denver Post elongated 'mustache' into 'under-nose hair crops.'
- "To the Associated Press, Florida tangerines were 'that zipper-skinned fruit.'
- "In the Lincoln [Nebraska] Sunday Journal-Star a cow did not give milk; 'the vitamin-laden liquid' came from a 'bovine milk factory.' . . .
- "The Boston American's ski columnist could not decide whether to call snow 'the elusive white subtance' or 'the heavenly tapioca.' And in Travel magazine, skiers slid down the slopes on 'the beatified barrel staves.'"
- Of course, the "elongated yellow fruit" is more commonly known as a banana.[3]
Examples of Periphrasis
- “The big man upstairs hears your prayers.” (Refers to God.)
- "The king of the football team hiked the ball." (Refers to quarterback.)
- Voldemort, the main villain of the Harry Potter series, is often called "He Who Must Not Be Named."
- The high-tech, electronic device said that I had an email. (Refers to computer.)
- The greatest playwright that ever lived wrote Romeo and Juliet. (Refers to Shakespeare.)
References
- ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periphrasis
- ↑ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=periphrasis
- ↑ "The Press: Elongated Fruit - TIME." Time. 10 Aug. 1953. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,818655,00.html>.
