syllepsis
Noun: A figure of speech in which a single word, typically a verb or preposition, is applied to two or more other words in the same sentence but must be understood in a different sense with each. This often involves a grammatical mismatch, where the governing word agrees grammatically with only one of the words it modifies.
Syllepsis is a rhetorical device used for witty, humorous, or dramatic effect. It creates a surprising connection between ideas by forcing a single word to perform double duty with different meanings or grammatical functions.
- She lost her keys and her temper.
- He caught the train and a bad cold.
- He addressed the meeting and the envelope.
Syllepsis often relies on zeugma (a broader category where the governing word may be used in the same sense). In strict definition, syllepsis emphasizes the grammatical or semantic shift. It is a sophisticated literary tool found in classic literature and clever modern writing. * "He stole both her wallet and her heart." (The verb "stole" applies literally to the wallet and metaphorically to the heart.)
- Zeugma (n): A broader rhetorical figure in which one word governs or modifies two or more words, which may or may not involve a change in sense. Syllepsis is often considered a specific type of zeugma.
- Sylleptic (adj): Relating to or having the nature of syllepsis.
- Zeugma (in its specific sense involving a semantic shift)
The term "syllepsis" is primarily a technical term from rhetoric and grammar. It does not have common everyday meanings outside of this literary and linguistic context. Its use is almost exclusively to identify and describe this specific stylistic device.
-
use of a word to govern two or more words though agreeing in number or case etc. with only one
