antimetabole

See also: antimetábole

English
Examples
  • "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ). By surface analysis, anti- (“opposite”) +‎ Ancient Greek μετᾰβολή (metabolḗ, “transformation”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌæn.tɪ.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.tɪ.mɛˈtæ.bə.li/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌæn.ti.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.taɪ.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.tə.məˈtæ.bə.li/

Noun

antimetabole (countable and uncountable, plural antimetaboles)

  1. (rhetoric) The technique of repeating a phrase while reversing the order of certain elements or its grammatical structure, as a form of juxtaposition.
    • 1835, L[arret] Langley, A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster: Printed by C. White, Baxter-Gate, →OCLC, page 90:
      Antimetabole at effect will strain,
      And words and terms revers'd employ again.
    • 2008, Michael E Eidenmuller, Great Speeches For Better Speaking, page 92:
      "Mankind must put an end to war or else war will put an end to mankind." Many other instances may be found in kind. As one reserves fine china for the most special occasions and in only the most select company, so Kennedy used his beloved antimetabole.

Translations

See also

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ).

Noun

antimetabole f (plural antimetaboli)

  1. antimetabole
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