Literary terms directory
Word & Language Terms
Word and language terms explain patterns of wording, word formation, grammar, and conventional meaning.
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- AnagramLanguage TermAn anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging all the letters of another word or phrase, normally using each letter the same number of times. A meaningful connection between the two expressions is optional.
- Faulty ParallelismLanguage TermFaulty parallelism is a grammatical or stylistic mismatch among elements presented as coordinate or equivalent. The problem occurs when a series or paired construction shifts form in a way that obscures the intended relationship.
- IdiomsLanguage TermAn idiom is a conventional expression whose established meaning or normal use is not fully predictable from the meanings and arrangement of its individual words. Idioms belong to language communities and may be figurative, but not every figurative phrase is an idiom.
- PortmanteauLanguage TermA portmanteau, or lexical blend, forms a word by merging parts of two or more source words and combining aspects of their meanings. It differs from an ordinary compound, which usually preserves whole source words.