parataxis

[par-uh-tak-sis]

noun

Grammar.

1. the placing together of sentences, clauses, or phrases without a conjunctive word or words, as Hurry up, it is getting late! I came—I saw—I conquered.

parataxis

/ ˌpærəˈtæktɪk, ˌpærəˈtæksɪs /

noun

1. the juxtaposition of clauses in a sentence without the use of a conjunction, as for example None of my friends stayed — they all left early

Other Word Forms

• paratactically adverb
• paratactic adjective
• paratactical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parataxis¹

1835–45; < New Latin < Greek parátaxis an arranging in order for battle. See para- ¹, -taxis

Word History and Origins

Origin of parataxis¹

C19: New Latin from Greek, from paratassein, literally: to arrange side by side, from _para- ¹ + tassein to arrange

Example Sentences

Others include paving stones, Gascon folk tales, parataxis, punctuation, cognates, medieval architecture and sheepdogs.

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Mr. Simon could be dense and even obscure, gilding his essays with discussions of Baudelaire, Nietzsche and Serbian poetry, and with terms such as “tonitruous,” “caducity” and “parataxis.”

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But parataxis can be defended on aesthetics alone.

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Alter believes in poetic parataxis, not pious parataxis.

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He devotes pages and pages to the problems of Hebrew parataxis—its rule of connecting phrases with simple “and”s.

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