Bible Lexicons

Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the BibleBullinger's Figures of Speech

Antanaclasis: or Word-Clashing

Repetition of the same Word in the same Sentence, with Different Meanings

Ant´-an-a-cla´-sis, from ἀντί (anti), against or back, ἀνά (ana), up, and κλάσις (klasis), a breaking from κλάω (klaô), to break. Hence, a breaking up against. This name is given to this figure; because, when a word has been used once in a sentence in its plain and natural sense, it is used again in the same sentence in another sense which breaks up against it. It is the use of the same word in the same sentence in two different senses. It is essential to this figure that the two words must be the same in spelling.* [Note: This differs from a Homonym (see Appendix D), which is a different word though spelt in the same way.] When they are similar in spelling but alike in sound, the figure is known by another name, Paronomasia (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ).

It is in frequent use in all languages: e.g., "while we live, let us live": or "learn some craft while you are young that when you are old you may live without craft."

When the Declaration of American Independence was being signed, Hancock said, "We must be unanimous; there must be no pulling different ways." "Yes," said Franklin, "we must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

A correspondent recently wrote concerning a certain subject: "The more I think of it the less I think of it," where the meaning is obvious.

With this figure we combine in our references the figure of