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Today's Word "Prolepsis"

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prolepsis \pro-LEP-sis\ (noun) - 1 : the presentation of a future potentiality as an accomplished fact, 2 : a response to criticism in advance of hearing it, and 3 : placing a redundant descriptive phrase, that refers to a term in the middle of the sentence, at the head of the sentence. (plural - prolepses)

"Matt daily utterances were full of a great many exaggerated prolepses such as 'I'm out of here!, 'If you touch my donut, you're toast!' and even 'I know we will have to work harder with this plan, but the benefits outweigh the sacrifices.'"

 

From the late Latin prolepsis from Greek prolambanein "to anticipate" based on pro- "before" + lambanein, lep- "to take." The Greek root is ostensibly akin to English "latch" but few other relationships have been established


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