polyptoton

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Translations

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

Via Latin, from Ancient Greek πολύπτωτον (poluptōton), neuter of πολύπτωτος (poluptōtos), “‘having many cases’”), from πολύς (polus), “‘many’”) + πίπτω (piptō), “‘I fall’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /ˌpɑl.əpˈtoʊ.tɑn/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

polyptoton (plural polyptota or polyptotons)

1. A stylistic scheme in which words from the same root are used together, or a word is repeated in a different inflection or case.

[edit] Usage notes

An example of polyptoton appears in the following quote:

• 1855, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Maud XVIII: I have led her Home, my love, my only friend":

  Dear heart, I feel with thee the drowsy spell.
  My bride to be, my evermore delight,
  My own heart’s heart, my ownest own, farewell;

In the third of the lines above, heart's and heart are two forms of the same word. The words ownest and own come from the same root.

[edit] Translations