anacoluthon

noun an·a·co·lu·thon \ ˌa-nə-kə-ˈlü-ˌthän \

Definition of anacoluthon

plural anacolutha play \-thə\ also anacoluthons

:syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence; especially :a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another (as in "you really ought—well, do it your own way")

—

anacoluthic

play \-thik\ adjective

—

anacoluthically

play \-thi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

anacoluthon was our Word of the Day on 07/18/2011. Hear the podcast!

anacoluthon Has Greek Roots

Looking at examples of - never mind that, we can't think of any - let us look at the history of "anacoluthon." (Or maybe we can think of an example. The shift in the preceding sentence from "looking at examples of" to "let us look at the root of" is one!) "Anacoluthon" traces back to Greek anakolouthos, which means "inconsistent" and is a compound of "an-" ("not") and "akolouthos" ("following"). Anacolutha (the word's plural form) frequently occur in speech and in literary writing especially to express excited or distraught emotion or thoughts.

Origin and Etymology of anacoluthon

Late Latin, from Late Greek anakolouthon inconsistency in logic, from Greek, neuter of anakolouthos inconsistent, from an- + akolouthos following, from ha-, a- together + keleuthos path

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1706

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up anacoluthon? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

anacoluthon

Definition of anacoluthon

anacoluthic

anacoluthically

anacoluthon was our Word of the Day on 07/18/2011. Hear the podcast!

anacoluthon Has Greek Roots

Origin and Etymology of anacoluthon

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

burke

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

8 Words That Put One Over on You

'Dis': From Early Rap to Academic Journals

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

Spell It

Add Diction

8 Words for Trickery and Deception

'Dis': From Early Rap to Academic Journals

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

Words of the Year: 1066

anacoluthon

Definition of anacoluthon

anacoluthic

anacoluthically

Explore Merriam-Webster

anacoluthon was our Word of the Day on 07/18/2011. Hear the podcast!

anacoluthon Has Greek Roots

Origin and Etymology of anacoluthon

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

8 Words for Trickery and Deception

'Dis': From Early Rap to Academic Journals

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

Words of the Year: 1066