hendiadys

[prettygoodword]

hendiadys (hen-DAI-uh-dis) - n., a figure of speech using two nouns (or two adjectives) joined by "and" instead of a noun + modifier (or adjective + adverb).


So "sound and fury" instead of "furious sound", "grace and favor" instead of "gracious favor," "he came despite the rain and weather" instead of "he came despite the rainy weather," or (to give an adjectival version) "nice and warm" instead of "nicely warm." The general effect is to use amplification to provide emphasis -- which is how Shakespeare often uses it (the first two examples are both from him). Adopted in 1577 from Latin, earlier form hendiadyoin, itself an alteration of the Greek phrase hèn dià dyoîn, one through (by means of) two.

---L.

Comments

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

This was a popular technique in medieval Spanish literature. These days, not so much.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

And classical Latin literature.

---L.

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

That's probably where the Spaniards got it from.