Vocabulary - Today's Word "tmesis"

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Today's Word "tmesis"

tmesis \TMEE-sis\ (noun) - In grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word, now generally done for humorous effect; for example, "what place soever" instead of "whatsoever place," or "abso-bloody-lutely."

"...He proceeded to expound upon the intricacies of Eratosthenes' prose, with its anaphora, asyndeton, synesis and tmesis and other things besides." - Ross Leckie, 'Hannibal'

Tmesis is from Greek tmesis, "a cutting," from temnein, "to cut."

This news arrived on: 10/03/2008

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Posted Comments:

10-13-2008 09:26

Hellas wrote:

Vocabulary

I would like to thank you from my heart for this daily newsletter that I read with immense joy! I wait for it with impatience, for it teaches me a great lot and is an incentive too to read more books of many more authors. You are doing a magnificent and extremely difficult job with this vocabulary and I am grateful to you. Apart from this, being Greek, I want to thank you because you include many greek words and their etymology. it is an extra pleasure for me! Millions of thanks again