Dictionary

paronomasia en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pæɹənɵˈmeɪʒə/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pæɹənɵˈmeɪzɪə/

Etymology

From Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek παρονομασία (paronomasía, “play upon words which sound alike”), from παρα- (para-) + ὀνομασία (onomasía, “naming”).

Meanings

1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) A pun or play on words.
   • Oh, by the way, any attempt to present me with any kind of testimonial will result in stern measures. And when I say stern measures, I am indulging in a paronomasia, or play on words! Good night. 1936 Ian Hay: Housemaster. London Hodder & Stoughton p. 234
   • Ev’rywhere but at Norfolk, where talk of Passion far outweighs its Enactment,– indeed, the Sailors’ paronomasia for that wretched Place, is ‘No-Fuck’. 1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon:
2. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) The use of puns.
   • Paronomasia to the sense alludes, When words but little varied it includes. 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Turns.] Paronomasia.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 88:
   • […] he gloomily regarded his new digital watch, faintly fascinated by the onward march of the square figures which turned one into the other with insolent ease, a kind of numerical paronomasia. 1984, Anthony Burgess, Enderby's Dark Lady:

Forms

Relateds

paronomastic · paronomasiac · paronomasic

Translations (16)

bg игра на думи (a pun or play on words) · pt paronomásia (a pun or play on words) · la paronomasia (a pun or play on words) · pl annominacja (a pun or play on words) · sv paranomasi (a pun or play on words) · fr paronomase (a pun or play on words) · pl paronomazja (a pun or play on words) · eo kalemburo (a pun or play on words) · eo vortludo (a pun or play on words) · ca paronomàsia (a pun or play on words) · es paronomasia (a pun or play on words) · es agnominación (a pun or play on words) · grc παρονομασία (a pun or play on words) · it paronomasia (a pun or play on words) · tl paritugma (a pun or play on words) · bg каламбур (a pun or play on words)