Anacoluthon Definition
ănə-kə-lo͝othŏn
anacolutha, anacoluthons
noun
anacolutha
An abrupt change within a sentence to a second construction inconsistent with the first, sometimes used for rhetorical effect; for example, I warned him that if he continues to drink, what will become of him?
American Heritage
A change from one grammatical construction to another within the same sentence, sometimes as a rhetorical device.
Webster's New World
A sentence in which this occurs (Ex.: “A man, young lady! lady, such a man as all the world— why, he's a man of wax!”)
Webster's New World
(grammar) A sentence or clause that is grammatically inconsistent, especially with respect to the type of clausal or phrasal complement for the initial clause.
Wiktionary
(rhetoric) Intentional use of such a structure.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Origin of Anacoluthon
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Late Latin from Late Greek anakolouthon inconsistency in logic from Greek neuter of anakolouthos inconsistent an- not a–1 akolouthos following (a- together sem-1 in Indo-European roots) (keleuthos path)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Late Latin anacolūthon, from Ancient Greek ἀνακόλουθον (anakolouthon, “without sequence, anomalous [of inflections or grammatical constructions]”), from ἀ(ν)- (a-, “un-”) + ἀκόλουθος (akolouthos, “following”).
From Wiktionary
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