Word Play

Acyrologia (ass-ih-roh-LOH-jee-uh) is an unintended use of the wrong word often by someone attempting to sound erudite. “O, villain! Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this!” Much Ado About Nothing, 4.2.38. Dogberry used “redemption” instead of “damnation.” The modern term for this figure is malapropism.  Malapropism is a neologismA new, deliberately invented word. inspired by the name of the character Mrs. Malaprop, in Richard Sheridan’s The Rivals, 1775. Her name is an abbreviated portmanteauA neologism created by combining two words. that combines the prefix mal. meaning bad, with appropriate.

Adnominatio (ad-nom-ih-NAY-shee-oh) is the assigning to a proper name its literal or homophonic meaning. “Falstaff: Is thy name Mouldy? Mouldy: Yea, an’t please you. Falstaff: ‘Tis the more time thou wert used. Shallow: Ha, ha, ha! most excellent, i’ faith! Things that are mouldy lack use: very singular good! in faith, well said, Sir John, very well said.” Henry IV Pt2, 3.2.96. Related to paronomasia and polyptoton.

Asteismus (as-tee-IZ-mus) is a witty joke in which a word or phrase is turned on the user. “Katherine: What is your crest? A coxcomb? Petruchio: A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen. Katherine: No cock of mine. You crow too like a craven.” Taming of the Shrew. 2.1.209.

Malapropism (MAL-uh-prop-iz-um) is a confused use of words in which an appropriate word is replaced by one with a similar sound but a ludicrously inappropriate meaning. Malapropism is neologismA new, deliberately invented word. inspired by the name of the character Mrs. Malaprop, in Richard Sheridan’s The Rivals, 1775. Her name is an abbreviated portmanteauA neologism created by combining two words. for mal-appropriate. See acyrologia, which is the classical term for malapropism,

Paronomasia (pair-uh-noh-MAY-zhuh) is word play, especially involving words with similar sounds but more than one meaning. “Now is the winter or our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York…” Richard III, 1.1.1. Related to adnominatio and polyptoton.

Polyptoton (puh-LIP-tuh-ton) is repeation of words in different case forms. Words are derived from the same root or cognate. “Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds, / Or bends with the remover to remove.” Sonnet 116. Related to antanaclasis, adnominatio and paronomasia.

Proparalepsis (proh-pair-uh-LEP-sis) is the adding an extra syllable or letters to the end of a word.

Prosthesis (praas-THEE-suhs) is the adding of extra syllables or letters to the beginning of a word.

Pun (PUN) is word play using different senses of the same word and or similar senses or sounds of different words.