hendiadys means A figure of speech used for emphasis, where two words joined by and are used to express a single complex idea. It carries an Arena rating of 1644, earned across 14 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, hendiadys ranks #2,464 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,859 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,240 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #4,425 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
hendiadys is pronounced /hɛnˈdaɪ.ədɪs/.
Why “hendiadys” is a great word
A figure of speech in which a single complex idea is expressed through two words connected by ‘and’, often for emphasis or nuance. The term, coined in the 16th century, derives from Medieval Latin, from Ancient Greek ἕν (hén, “one”) + διά (diá, “through”) + δύο (dúo, “two”), literally meaning “one through two”. Unlike merism, which names contrasting parts to signify a whole (like “lock and key” for security), or tautology, which needlessly repeats the same idea, hendiadys compounds distinct elements to create a singular, richer meaning. It is the “sound and fury” of a life not just loud but senselessly tumultuous; the “nice and warm” of a comfort that is gently pleasant; the “good and ready” of a resolve steeped in finality—a grammatical sleight of hand that makes the familiar world suddenly strange and newly precise.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin, from Ancient Greek ἕν (hén), stem of εἷς (heîs, “one”) + διά (diá, “through”) + δύο (dúo, “two”), “one [idea] through two [words]”.
noun
- A figure of speech used for emphasis, where two words joined by and are used to express a single complex idea.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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