Rhetoric - anacoluthon

anacoluthon [ˌænəkəˈluθɒn] n.

1.) Rhetoric. A construction in which grammatical cohesion is lacking within a sentence, characterized by a change from one grammatical form to another, disharmonious form. An anacoluthon usually occurs when the speaker suddenly changes the thought or point of view (He was warned that he had to shape up or what could he expect to happen?). Sometimes it occurs as an instance of aposiopesis to heighten the rhetorical effect (If I don't find my keys in the next ten minutes—well, you don't want to know what will happen!) (Garner's Modern American Usage 3rd Edition).

Etymology: Late Latin, from Late Greek anakolouthon, inconsistency in logic, from Greek, neuter of anakolouthos, inconsistent: an-, not + akolouthos, following (a-, together + keleuthos, path).

"Dean stood in the cafeteria rubbing his belly and taking it all in. He wanted to talk to a strange middle-aged colored woman who had come into the cafeteria with a story about how she had no money but she had buns with her and would they give her butter" (On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 1957).

(Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Pablo Picasso, 1907) ____________________________________________________

A couple of reminders: first, today is the last day to submit your entries in the "Climbing the Mountain" weekly challenge (see here for details); second, this word is a term of rhetoric and is therefore not part of the usual MA program. I wouldn't use any of the rhetorical terms in a paper (unless you're a Literature student). They're purely a means to learn rhetoric (and this not in order to use rhetoric, but more to sneer at it). Thanks for reading!