Dictionary

asyndeton en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əˈsɪndətən/
• /æ-/
• /əˈsɪndətɒn/
• /eɪ-/

Etymology

From Latin asyndeton, from Ancient Greek ἀσύνδετον (asúndeton), from ἀ- (a-, “a-, un-, non-”) and the neuter substantive of σῠ́νδετος (sŭ́ndetos, “bound, joined”), from συνδεῖν (sundeîn, “to join, to bind”), from σῠν- (sŭn-, “together”) + δεῖν (deîn, “to bind, to tie”). Equivalent to a- + syndeton.

Meanings

1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) Omission of conjunctions, especially for rhetorical effect.
   • Asyndeton the Cop'latives denies. Faith, Justice, Truth, Religion, Mercy dies. 1740, Benjamin Martin, Bibliotheca Technologica, 2nd edition, page 145:
   • Asyndeton the copulative denies; And sometimes haste and rage sometimes implies. 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Asyndeton.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 50:
   • Asyndeton, or the Loose language... as thus. I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it. 1589, George Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie, page 145:

Forms

Coordinates

polysyndeton · syndeton

Hypernyms

brachylogy

Relateds

asyndetically · articulus · asyndetic

Synonyms

asyndesis · dissolutio · asyndetism

Translations (15)

tl lakdaw (rhetoric scheme) · hu aszindeton (rhetoric scheme) · grc ἀσύνδετον (rhetoric scheme) · it asindeto (rhetoric scheme) · la dissolūtiō (rhetoric scheme) · ca asíndeton (rhetoric scheme) · fr asyndète (rhetoric scheme) · es asíndeton (rhetoric scheme) · pt assíndeto (rhetoric scheme) · el ασύνδετο (rhetoric scheme) · fi asyndeton (rhetoric scheme) · pl asyndeton (rhetoric scheme) · de Asyndeton (rhetoric scheme) · la asyndeton (rhetoric scheme) · cs asyndeton (rhetoric scheme)