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hyperbaton (hye-PUR-buh-ton), noun, plural hyperbatons, hyperbata
The use, especially for emphasis, of a word order other than the expected or usual one, as in "Bird thou never wert.' [Greek huperbaton, from neuter of huperbatos, transposed, from huperbainein, to step over : huper-, over, across + bainein, to step.] "`Out from him sprang the sun and the moon; from man, the sun; from woman, the moon.' This deliberate inversion of expected logic is one of many uses of hyperbaton in the essay. Eric Wilson, Weaving: Breathing: Thinking: The poetics of Emerson's Nature, ATQ, Mar 1996. This week's theme: words about words. ............................................................................. What if this weren't a hypothetical question? Send your comments about words to anu@wordsmith.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe A.Word.A.Day, send a message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with "Subject:" line as "subscribe <Your Name<" or "unsubscribe". Archives, FAQ, gift subscription form, and more at: http://wordsmith.org/awad/ Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/hyperbaton.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/hyperbaton.ram
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