Enallage (from the Greek ‘εναλλαγή, enallage, meaning interchange) is a term used to mean the substitution of one grammatical form for another (possibly incorrect) one.^[1]

Pluralization

Enallage can be used poetically to emphasize the subject of a sentence. This can be done in many ways. For instance, the number of a pronoun can be altered to stress the responsibility of the individual as part of a group. In the Book of Exodus when God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses he uses the plural of you, ye, to refer to them: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians…” (Exodus 19.4). However, during the narration of the Ten Commandments, which are clearly told to the people of Israel, the singular is used: “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20.13-15). This is done to stress the personal responsibilities of the Israelites.^[2] In linguistics, the term grammatical number refers to ways of expressing quantity by inflecting words. ... In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun is a pro-form that substitutes for a noun phrase. ... This article is about the second book in the Torah. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ...

Person

Enallage is also used to bring the speaker’s message more strongly to the listener. Again using a Biblical example, the female speaker says to her lover, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…” (Song of Solomon 1.2). After addressing him in the third person, she switches to the second person: “for thy love is better than wine” (Song of Solomon 1.2). This serves to attract her lover more strongly.^[3] This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... The Song of Solomon or Song of Songs (Hebrew title שיר השירים, Shir ha-Shirim) is a book of the Hebrew Bible—Tanakh or Old Testament—one of the five megillot. ... Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to the participant role of a referent, such as the speaker, the addressee, and others. ... Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to the participant role of a referent, such as the speaker, the addressee, and others. ...

Mood

Switching a sentence from the active voice to the passive voice is another method of enallage. “I hit Jim” is much more direct and blunt than “Jim was hit by me” and it also implies much more responsibility. Voice, in grammar, is the relationship between the action or state expressed by a verb, and its arguments (subject, object, etc. ... In grammar, voice is the relationship between the action or state expressed by a verb, and its arguments (subject, object, etc. ...

Incorrect Grammar

Another use of enallage is to give a sentence improper grammar to achieve an effect. Shakespeare asks, “‘Is there not wars? Is there not employment?’” (2nd Henry IV, I, ii) to achieve parallel structure. Ordinarily this would read "Is there not war? Is there not employment?" but Shakespeare pluralizes war. Byron states, “The idols are broke in the temple of Baal.” Here he uses the past tense form of break instead of the past participle, broken, which should be used. Shakespeare redirects here. ... Henry IV part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, first published as part of Shakespeares First Folio. ... Lord Byron, English poet Lord Byron (1803), as painted by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824) was the most widely read English language poet of his day. ... For other uses, see Baal (disambiguation). ... The past tense is a verb tense expressing action, activity, state or being in the past. ... In linguistics, a participle is an adjective derived from a verb. ...

References