lipogram
Definition
Noun: A lipogram is a written work, such as a poem, story, or longer text, that deliberately omits one or more specific letters of the alphabet. The constraint is a stylistic challenge for the author.
Usage
The word "lipogram" is used to classify or describe a specific type of constrained writing. It is a formal, literary term. - It is typically preceded by an article ("a," "the"). - It can be modified by adjectives describing the omitted letter(s) (e.g., "a vowel lipogram," "an 'E' lipogram").
Examples
- Writing a coherent lipogram that avoids the letter 'E' is an impressive feat.
- The novel by Ernest Vincent Wright is a famous 50,000-word lipogram that never uses the letter 'E'.
- The poet composed a clever lipogram that excluded all vowels except for 'A'.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used attributively as a noun modifier (e.g., "a lipogram author," "lipogram writing").
- The concept is often discussed in the context of Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle), a group of writers and mathematicians interested in constrained writing techniques.
Variants and Related Words
- Lipogrammatic (adjective): Of or relating to a lipogram. (e.g., "a lipogrammatic exercise").
- Lipogrammatist (noun): A writer of lipograms.
Synonyms
- Constrained writing (this is a broader category that includes lipograms).
- Letter-exclusion text.
Antonyms
- There is no direct antonym, but unrestricted or free-form writing is the conceptual opposite.
Related Concepts
- Pangram: A sentence or phrase that uses every letter of the alphabet at least once (the conceptual opposite of a lipogram's exclusion).
- Univocalic: A text that uses only one vowel repeatedly (a specific type of lipogrammatic constraint).
Noun
-
a text that excludes a particular letter or particular letters of the alphabet
