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Anacoluthon: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Anacoluthon noun. A sentence that sets off in one grammatical direction and finishes in another.
How to say it
an-uh-kuh-LOO-thon/ˌanəkəˈluːθɒn/
5 syllables, stressed on the fourth (LOO).
Anacoluthon in a sentence
‘If you ever need anything, the spare key is under the pot’ is a small anacoluthon most listeners never notice.
His speeches were full of anacoluthon, every sentence abandoned halfway for a better idea.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- broken construction
- non sequitur
Where anacoluthon comes from
From Greek anakolouthon, not following on, from an-, not, and akolouthos, following.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
His speeches were full of _____, every sentence abandoned halfway for a better idea.
- toponym
- quip
- anacoluthon
Show the answer
anacoluthon: His speeches were full of anacoluthon, every sentence abandoned halfway for a better idea.