enallage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Extremely LowHighly formal, academic, technical (rhetoric/linguistics)
Quick answer
What does “enallage” mean?
The intentional substitution of one grammatical form for another for rhetorical effect.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The intentional substitution of one grammatical form for another for rhetorical effect.
A deliberate and stylistic deviation from standard grammatical rules, involving the use of one case, gender, number, person, tense, or mood for another, employed to create emphasis, poetic effect, or a particular tone. It is a figure of speech used in rhetoric, literature, and sometimes everyday language for expressive purposes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both academic and rhetorical contexts in the UK and US.
Connotations
Precise, scholarly, associated with classical rhetoric and literary criticism.
Frequency
Virtually never encountered outside advanced texts on rhetoric, stylistics, or grammar.
Grammar
How to Use “enallage” in a Sentence
[Author] uses enallage in [quote].This is an instance of enallage.The enallage of [grammatical element] for [another].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “enallage” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The poet skilfully enallaged number to achieve a singular focus.
American English
- Shakespeare often enallages tense for dramatic immediacy.
adverb
British English
- The line was written enallagically, swapping mood for emphasis.
American English
- He spoke enallagically, using past for present to create distance.
adjective
British English
- The enallagic use of 'they' for a singular antecedent was deliberate.
American English
- Her enallagic constructions gave the speech a archaic, prophetic tone.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Used only in advanced literary criticism, rhetoric, and linguistics papers to describe specific textual features.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Core term in rhetoric and stylistic analysis for labelling a specific trope.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “enallage”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “enallage”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “enallage”
- Confusing it with a simple grammatical error. Mispronouncing it (stress is typically on the second syllable). Assuming it is a common word.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Enallage is a deliberate, artistic choice made for a specific effect. A mistake is unintentional and undermines clarity, while enallage is intentional and enhances expression.
Enallage is an intentional rhetorical figure. A solecism is an unintentional error in grammar or usage. The key difference is authorial intent and context.
Yes. The colloquial use of "Me and him went" instead of "He and I went" could be considered enallage if used deliberately for character voice or to sound casual/non-standard, not out of ignorance. Advertising slogans like "Think different" (using adjective for adverb) are clear commercial examples.
Primarily a noun. While the verb 'to enallage' and related adjective/adverb forms exist, they are extremely rare even in academic writing. The noun form is overwhelmingly standard.
The intentional substitution of one grammatical form for another for rhetorical effect.
Enallage is usually highly formal, academic, technical (rhetoric/linguistics) in register.
Enallage: in British English it is pronounced /ɪˈnalədʒi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɛˈnælədʒi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
ENALLAGE: ENter ALL Altered Grammar for Effect.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A TOOLKIT (deliberately choosing the 'wrong' tool for a special effect).
Practice
Quiz
Enallage is best defined as: