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