Difference between revisions of "Paronomasia"
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| − | The [[Bible]] frequently uses paronomasia: for | + | The [[Bible]] frequently uses paronomasia; for example: |
| + | :"With the jawbone of an ass (''hamor''), heaps upon heaps (''hamor hamortayim''), with the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men" (Judges 15:16). In Hebrew, the word for both "ass" and "heap" is ''hamor''. (See Judges 14:12). | ||
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| + | :"And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts (''ayarim''), and they had thirty cities (''ayarim''), which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead" (Judges 10:4). The Hebrew word ''ayarim'' can mean both "ass colts" and "cities." Another more "dynamic translation" might render in English the play on words in this verse as: "He had thirty sons who rode thirty burros who had thirty boroughs." | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 16:18, January 20, 2018
Paronomasia is a literary device, a deliberate "play on words", also called a "pun", for the purpose of commentary, exploiting sound similarity or meanings as a serious social or political critique or as a form of ridicule, for effect.
Possible examples:
- "The numerous ill-conceived current policies of Democrats provide a liberal display of stupidity on Capitol Hill."
- "The max-Senate debates in Washington are dead-locked. This is no comedy." (Mack Sennett)
- "The need for more military intelligence is shockingly evident in the current international situation."
- "The idea of spending money to put a colony on Mars is genuine science friction, given the needs of our veterans, our children, our bridges, roads, highways and the state of govern-mental spending as a hole." (whole)
- Paronomasia in the Bible
The Bible frequently uses paronomasia; for example:
- "With the jawbone of an ass (hamor), heaps upon heaps (hamor hamortayim), with the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men" (Judges 15:16). In Hebrew, the word for both "ass" and "heap" is hamor. (See Judges 14:12).
- "And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts (ayarim), and they had thirty cities (ayarim), which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead" (Judges 10:4). The Hebrew word ayarim can mean both "ass colts" and "cities." Another more "dynamic translation" might render in English the play on words in this verse as: "He had thirty sons who rode thirty burros who had thirty boroughs."
See also
Slander
Libel
Polemic
Humor
Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)
External links
Paronomasia - Definition and examples (literarydevices.net)
Paronomasia (word play) (thoughtco.com)
Pun - from Infogalactic the Knowledge Core (infogalactic.com)
Examples of Puns in Literature (yourdictionary.com)
Shakespearean Puns - Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus (vocabulary.com)
Paronomasia or a play on words - Rules of Interpretation (biblicalresearch.info)
Biblical Puns, Russell J. Hendel (jbq.jewishbible.org) pdf
Wordplay in Genesis 2:25–3:1, Zvi Ron (jbq.jewishbible.org)
Paronomasia - Bible Dictionaries: Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament (studylight.org)