acervatio means departing from the normal syntax of a series to increase its effect. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “acervatio” is a great word
ACERVATIO — [Noun] A rhetorical device involving the heaping together of words or clauses, deliberately departing from standard syntax to create a cumulative and often overwhelming effect. From Latin acervātiō ("heaping up"), from acervō ("to heap up") + -ātiō (noun-forming suffix). First known use in English 1614. Unlike asyndeton, which omits conjunctions for breathless speed, or congeries, a general piling of synonyms for emphasis, acervatio is the deliberate, syntactical stacking of clauses into a single, staggering edifice. It is the rising tide of accusations in a prosecutor’s closing argument, the breathless catalog of a city’s wonders, and the vertiginous litany of sins in a fire-and-brimstone sermon—a testament to the human belief that if one word fails to move, perhaps a dozen, piled high, will suffice.
Etymology
From Latin acervātiō (“heaping up”), from acervō (“heap up”) + -ātiō. Doublet of acervation.
noun
- Departing from the normal syntax of a series to increase its effect.