periphrastic

English

WOTD – 10 February 2010

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek περιφραστικός (periphrastikós), from περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stik/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/
• Rhymes: -æstɪk

Adjective

periphrastic (comparative more periphrastic, superlative most periphrastic)

1. Expressed in more words than are necessary.
   • 1916, Martin Brown Ruud, An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway‎^[1]:

     As poetry it does not measure up to Aasen; as translation it is periphrastic, arbitrary, not at all faithful.

   • 1940, T. S. Eliot, East Coker:

     That was a way of putting it—not very satisfactory/ A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle / With words and meanings.

2. Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.
   • 1870, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Vril: The Power of the Coming Race‎^[2]:

     In writing, they deem it irreverent to express the Supreme Being [and] in conversation they generally use a periphrastic epithet, such as the All-Good.

3. (grammar) Characterized by periphrasis.

   “The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.

Related terms

• periphrase
• periphrasis
• periphrastic conjugation

Translations

expressed in more words than are necessary

• Bulgarian: многословен (bg) (mnogosloven)
• Catalan: perifràstic (ca)
• Dutch: perifrastisch (nl), uitvoerig (nl), omschrijvend (nl)
• French: périphrastique (fr)
• Greek: περιφραστικός (el) (perifrastikós)
• Hungarian: szószaporító (hu)
• Portuguese: perifrástico
• Russian: многосло́вный (ru) (mnogoslóvnyj)
• Spanish: perifrástico (es)

indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory

• Bulgarian: заобиколен (bg) (zaobikolen), иносказателен (bg) (inoskazatelen)
• Dutch: perifrastisch (nl), uitvoerig (nl), omschrijvend (nl)
• Greek: περιφραστικός (el) (perifrastikós)
• Hungarian: körülírt, körülírásos
• Russian: иносказа́тельный (ru) (inoskazátelʹnyj)

grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution

• Bulgarian: описателен (bg) (opisatelen)
• Catalan: perifràstic (ca)
• Dutch: perifrastisch (nl), uitvoerig (nl), omschrijvend (nl)
• French: périphrastique (fr)
• Greek: περιφραστικός (el) (perifrastikós)
• Hungarian: körülírt, körülírásos, körülírással kifejezett/szerkesztett
• Portuguese: perifrástico
• Spanish: perifrástico (es)
• Welsh: periffrastig