parataxis

English

WOTD – 17 January 2010

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παράταξις (parátaxis, “placement side by side”), from παρα- (para-) + τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”); equivalent to para- +‎ taxis.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /paɹəˈtaksɪs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Noun

parataxis (usually uncountable, plural parataxes)

1. (grammar) Speech or writing in which clauses or phrases are placed together without being separated by conjunctions, for example "I came; I saw; I conquered".
2. (literature) The juxtaposition of two images or fragments, usually starkly dissimilar, without a clear connection.
3. (historical, politics) A coalition or "partisan camp" in the Ancient Greek political system.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “grammar”): hypotaxis

Derived terms

Derived terms

• para-hypotaxis
• paratactic
• paratactical
• paratactically

Translations

in grammar

• Catalan: parataxi f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 意合式 (yìhéshì), 並列結構 / 并列结构 (bìngliè jiégòu)

• Danish: paratakse c, sideordning c
• Finnish: parataksis
• French: parataxe (fr) f
• German: Nebenordnung, Parataxis, Parataxe (de)
• Greek: παράταξις (el) f (parátaxis)
• Italian: paratassi (it) f
• Latin: parataxis f
• Norwegian: paratakse m, sideordning m or f
• Portuguese: parataxe f
• Russian: парата́ксис (ru) (paratáksis)
• Spanish: parataxis f
• Swedish: paratax (sv) c

in literature

• Finnish: parataksis

in politics

See also

• asyndeton
• hypotaxis
• juxtaposition
• syntaxis