anacoluthon

[ an-uh-kuh-loo-thon ]

noun

, Rhetoric.

, plural an·a·co·lu·tha [an-, uh, -k, uh, -, loo, -th, uh].

1. a construction involving a break in grammatical sequence, as

   It makes me so—I just get angry.

2. an instance of anacoluthia.

anacoluthon

/ ˌænəkəˈluːθɒn /

noun

1. rhetoric a construction that involves the change from one grammatical sequence to another within a single sentence; an example of anacoluthia

Word History and Origins

Origin of anacoluthon¹

1700–10; < Greek anakólouthon, neuter of anakólouthos not following, equivalent to an- an- ¹ + akólouthos marching together ( a- together + kolouth-, gradational variant of keleuth- road, march + -os adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of anacoluthon¹

C18: from Late Latin, from Greek anakolouthon, from anakolouthos not consistent, from an- + akolouthos following

Example Sentences

A breakdown like this—an anacoluthon, as the grammarians call it—is nothing strange in Paul's style.

From Project Gutenberg

It contains another anacoluthon (or incoherence of language), due to the surge of feeling remarked in ver.

From Project Gutenberg

The anacoluthon in Mk iv, 31, is avoided by Matthew and Luke.

From Project Gutenberg

Anacoluthon, a want of grammatical and logical sequence in the structure of a sentence.

From Project Gutenberg