Rhetorical Jargon Flashcards
Absurdity.
The exaggeration of a point beyond belief.
Accumulation.
The emphasis or summary of previously made points or inferences by excessive praise or accusation.
Acutezza.
Wit or wordplay used in rhetoric.
Adjunction.
When a verb is placed at the beginning or the end of a sentence instead of in the middle. For example (from Rhetorica ad Herennium), “At the beginning, as follows: ‘Fades physical beauty with disease or age.’ At the end, as follows: ‘Either with disease or age physical beauty fades.’”
Aesthetics.
The examination of symbolic expression to determine its rhetorical possibilities.
Aetiologia
Giving a cause or a reason.
Affectus
A term used by the Italian Humanists of the Renaissance to describe the source of emotions or passions in the human mind.
Agenda.
That which a persuader successfully makes salient and then spins [see Vatz, Richard E.]
Alloisis.
The breaking down of a subject into its alternatives.
Ambigua.
An ambiguous statement used in making puns.
Amplificatio.
An all-purpose term for all the ways an argument can be expanded and enhanced.
Amplification.
The act and the means of extending thoughts or statements to increase rhetorical effect, to add importance, or to make the most of a thought or circumstance.
Anacoenosis.
A speaker asks his or her audience or opponents for their opinion or answer to the point in question.
Anacoluthon.
An abrupt change of syntax within a sentence. (What I want is — like anybody cares.)
Anadiplosis.
Repeating the last word of one clause or phrase to begin the next.
Analogy.
The use of a similar or parallel case or example to reason or argue a point.
Anaphora.
From the Greek ἀναφέρω, “I repeat”. A succession of sentences beginning with the same word or group of words.
Anastrophe.
Inversion of the natural word order.
Anecdote.
A brief narrative describing an interesting or amusing event.
Animorum motus.
The emotions.
Antanaclasis.
From Greek ̩ ̩ἀντανάκλασις, a figure of speech involving a pun, consisting of the repeated use of the same word, each time with different meanings.
Anthimeria.
Substitution of one part of speech for another (such as a noun used as a verb). It is traditionally called antimeria.
Antimetabole.
Repetition of two words or short phrases, but in reversed order to establish a contrast. It is a specialised form of chiasmus.
Antinome.
(pronounced an-ta-nome) Two ideas about the same topic that can be worked out to a logical conclusion, but the conclusions contradict each other.
Antiptosis.
The substitution of one case for another.
Antistrophe.
In rhetoric, repeating the last word in successive phrases. For example (from Rhetorica ad Herennium), “‘Since the time when from our state concord disappeared, liberty disappeared, good faith disappeared, friendship disappeared, the common weal disappeared.’” Also see epiphora.
Antithesis.
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, or grammatical structures; the second stage of the dialectic process.
Aphaeresis.
The omission of a syllable from the beginning of a word.
Apocope.
The omission of the last letter or syllable of a word.
Apokoinu construction.
A blend of two clauses through a lexical word which has two syntactical functions, one in each of the blended clauses.
Apophasis / Apophesis.
Pretending to deny something as a means of implicitly affirming it. As paralipsis, mentioning something by saying that you will not mention it. The opposite of occupatio.
Aporia.
An attempt to discredit an opposing viewpoint by casting doubt on it.
Aposiopesis.
An abrupt stop in the middle of a sentence; used by a speaker to convey unwillingness or inability to complete a thought or statement.
Apostrophe.
From Greek ἀποστροφή, a figure of speech consisting of a sudden turn in a text towards an exclamatory address to an imaginary person or a thing.
Appeals.
Rhetorical devices used to enhance the plausibility of one’s argument; Aristotle’s appeals included ethos, logos, and pathos.
Arete.
Virtue, excellence of character, qualities that would be inherent in a “natural leader,” a component of ethos.
Argument.
Discourse characterized by reasons advanced to support conclusions.
Argumentum ad baculum.
Settling a question by appealing to force.
Argumentum ad hominem.
Using what you know about your opponent’s character as a basis for your argument.
Ars arengandi.
Teaching of forensic speaking during the Medieval rhetorical era.
Ars dictaminis.
The art of writing letters, introduced and taught during the Medieval rhetorical era.
Ars poetria.
Medieval teaching of grammar and style through analysis of poetry.
Ars praedicandi.
The art of preaching based on rhetorical ideas and introduced during the Medieval rhetorical era during an increasing intersection between rhetoric and religion.
Artistic proofs.
Rhetorically-produced methods for persuasion. For Aristotle, three possibilities would be ethos, pathos, and logos.
Asyndeton.
The deliberate omission of conjunctions that would normally be used.
Audience.
Real, imagined, invoked, or ignored, this is a concept that seems to be at the very center of the intersections of composing and rhetoric.
Aureation.
The use of Latinate and polysyllabic terms to “heighten” diction.
Auxesis.
To place words or phrases in a certain order to obtain a climactic effect.
Axioms.
The point where scientific reasoning starts. Principles that are not questioned.
Backing.
Supporting an argument’s merit.
Barbarism.
Use of a non-standard word, expression or pronunciation in a language, particularly one prescriptively regarded as an error in morphology.
Bases.
The issues at question in a judicial case.
Bdelygmia.
Expression of hatred or contempt.
Belles lettres.
Written works considered quality because they are pleasing to the senses.
Belletristic Movement.
Movement of rhetoric in the late 18th and early 19th centuries emphasizing stylistic considerations of rhetoric. It also expanded rhetoric into a study of literature and literary
Belletristic Movement.
Movement of rhetoric in the late 18th and early 19th centuries emphasizing stylistic considerations of rhetoric. It also expanded rhetoric into a study of literature and literary criticism and writing.
Bomphiologia.
Bombastic speech: a rhetorical technique wherein the speaker brags excessively.
Brachylogia.
Brevity of diction
Brevitas.
Concise expression
Burden of proof.
Theory of argument giving the obligation of proving a case to the challenging party.
Canon.
A term often used to discuss significant literary works in a specific field, used by Cicero to outline five significant parts of the rhetorical composition process.
Captatio benevolentiae.
Any literary or oral device which seeks to secure the goodwill of the recipient or hearer, as in a letter or in a discussion.
Catachresis.
The inexact use of a similar word in place of the proper one to create an unlikely metaphor. For example (from Rhetorica ad Herennium), “‘The power of man is short’” or “‘the long wisdom in the man.’”
Charisma.
An attribute that allows a speaker’s words to become powerful.
Chiasmus.
From the name of the Greek letter “χ”, a figure of speech consisting of the contrasting of two structurally parallel syntactic phrases arranged “cross-wise”, i.e. in such a way that the second is in reverse order from the first.
Circa rem.
Latin: The circumstances surrounding the act in one Roman topical system.
Claim
- A primary point being made to support an argument. 2. Stephen Toulmin: the resulting conclusion to an argument.
Classicism.
A revival in the interest of classical antiquity languages and texts.
Climax.
Climax occurs when words or sentences are used to increase weight by mounting degrees in parallel construction.
Colon.
A colon (Greek κῶλον) is a rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.
Colloquialism.
A word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.
Common Topics.
Arguments and approaches useful in rhetorical settings; koinoi topoi.
Consubstantiality.
Substance commonality.
Constraints.
Referring to “persons, events, objects, and relations which are parts of the situation because they have the power to constrain decision and action needed to modify the exigence.” Originally used by Lloyd Bitzer.
Contingency.
In rhetoric, it relates to the contextual circumstances that do not allow an issue to be settled with complete certainty.
Context.
The circumstances surrounding an issue that should be considered during its discussion.
Cookery.
Plato believed rhetoric was to truth as cookery was to medicine. Cookery disguises itself as medicine and appears to be more pleasing, when in actuality it has no real benefit.
Critical theory.
Systematically analyzing any means of communication for hidden assumptions and connotations.
Concession.
Acknowledgment of objections to a proposal
Data.
Stephen Toulmin. Initial evidence supporting a claim.
Deconstruction.
Analyzing communication artifacts by scrutinizing their meaning and related assumptions, with the goal of determining the social and systemic connotations behind their structure.
Deduction.
Moving from an overall hypothesis to infer something specific about that hypothesis.
Delectare.
To delight; viewed by Cicero as one of the three goals of rhetoric.
Delivery.
Canon #5 in Cicero’s list of rhetorical canons; traditionally linked to oral rhetoric, refers to how a speech is given (including tone of voice and nonverbal gestures, among others).
Demos.
The population of an ancient Greek state, considered a political entity; population; the common people.
Dialectic.
A rhetorical term that has been defined differently by Aristotle and Ramus, among others; generally, it means using verbal communication between people to discuss topics in order to come to an agreement about them.
Diallage.
Establishing a single point with the use of several arguments.
Dictamen.
The art of writing letters.
Dispositio.
In the classical theory of the production of speech Pronuntiatio dispositio refers to the stage of planning the structure and sequence of ideas. Often referred to as arrangement, the second of Cicero’s five rhetorical canons.
Dissoi Logoi.
Contradictory arguments.
Distribution.
Dividing a whole subject into its various parts.
Docere.
To teach; viewed by Cicero as one of the three goals of rhetoric.
Dramatistic
Way to look at the nature of language stressing on language as an action. ex. uses expressions such as ‘thou shalt’ and ‘thou shalt not.”
Dysphemism.
A term with negative associations for something in reality fairly innocuous or inoffensive.
Ecphonesis.
A sentence consisting of a single word or short phrase ending with an exclamation point.
Ellipse.
The suppression of ancillary words to render an expression more lively or more forceful.
Elocutio.
In the classical theory of the production of a speech (Pronuntiatio), elocution refers to the stage of elaborating the wording of a text, using correct grammar and diction.
Enallage.
The switching of grammatical forms for an expressive purpose.
Energia.
The latin word for ‘energy’ that was used by Aristotle in reference to the force or vigor of expression in writing or speech.
Enthymeme.
A type of argument that is grounded in assumed commonalities between a rhetor and the audience. (For example: Claim 1: Bob is a person. Therefore, Claim 3: Bob is mortal. The assumption (unstated Claim 2) is that People are mortal). In Aristotelian rhetoric, an enthymeme is known as a “rhetorical syllogism:” it mirrors the form of a syllogism, but it is based on opinion rather than fact (For example: Claim 1: These clothes are tacky. Claim 2: I am wearing these clothes. Claim 3: Therefore, I am unfashionable).
Enumeratio.
Making a point more forcibly by listing detailed causes or effects; to enumerate: count off or list one by one.
Epanalepsis.
A figure of speech in which the same word or phrase appears both at the beginning and at the end of a clause.
Epanaphora.
In rhetoric, repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases for emphasis. For example (from Rhetorica ad Herennium), “‘To you must go the credit for this, to you are thanks due, to you will this act of yours bring glory.’”
Epideictic.
Ceremonial rhetoric, such as might be found in a funeral or victory speech.
Epiphora.
The repetition of a phrase or word at the end of several sentences or clauses. Also see anaphora.
Epistemology.
Philosophical study directed at understanding how people gain knowledge.
Epistrophe.
A succession of clauses, phrases or sentences that all end with the same word or group of words.
Epithet.
A term used as a descriptive and qualifying substitute for the name of a person, place or thing.
Epizeuxis.
Emphasizing an idea using one word repetition.
Eristic.
Communicating with the aim of winning the argument regardless of truth. The idea is not necessarily to lie, but to present the communication so cleverly that the audience is persuaded by the power of the presentation.
