parataxis

[ par-uh-tak-sis ]

noun

, Grammar.

1. the placing together of sentences, clauses, or phrases without a conjunctive word or words, as Hurry up, it is getting late! I came—I saw—I conquered.

parataxis

/ ˌpærəˈtæktɪk; ˌpærəˈtæksɪs /

noun

1. the juxtaposition of clauses in a sentence without the use of a conjunction, as for example None of my friends stayed — they all left early

Derived Forms

• ˌparaˈtactically, adverb
• paratactic, adjective

Other Words From

• par·a·tac·tic [par-, uh, -, tak, -tik], para·tacti·cal adjective
• para·tacti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of parataxis¹

1835–45; < New Latin < Greek parátaxis an arranging in order for battle. See para- ¹, -taxis

Word History and Origins

Origin of parataxis¹

C19: New Latin from Greek, from paratassein, literally: to arrange side by side, from para- ¹+ tassein to arrange

Example Sentences

Others include paving stones, Gascon folk tales, parataxis, punctuation, cognates, medieval architecture and sheepdogs.

From New York Times

Mr. Simon could be dense and even obscure, gilding his essays with discussions of Baudelaire, Nietzsche and Serbian poetry, and with terms such as “tonitruous,” “caducity” and “parataxis.”

From Washington Post

But parataxis can be defended on aesthetics alone.

From The New Yorker

Alter believes in poetic parataxis, not pious parataxis.

From The New Yorker

He devotes pages and pages to the problems of Hebrew parataxis—its rule of connecting phrases with simple “and”s.

From The New Yorker