An anapodoton (from Ancient Greek ''anapódoton'': "that which lacks an apodosis, that is, the consequential clause in a conditional sentence), plural anapodota, is a

rhetorical device In rhetoric, a rhetorical device, persuasive device, or stylistic device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading them towards considering a topic from a perspective, ...

related to the anacoluthon; both involve a thought being interrupted or discontinued before it is fully expressed. It is a figure of speech or discourse that is an incomplete sentence, consisting of a subject or complement without the requisite object. The stand-alone subordinate clause suggests or implies a subject (a main clause), but this is not actually provided. As an intentional rhetorical device, it is generally used for set phrases, where the full form is understood, and would thus be tedious to spell out, as in "When in Rome o as the Romans" or " If the mountain won't come to Muhammad uhammed will go to the mountain" Anapodota are common in

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...

and languages that draw from it, such as

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, where a long literary phrase is commonly abbreviated to just its condition. For example, Zhuangzi's phrase "A frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean", meaning "people of limited experience have a narrow world view" is rendered as "A frog in a well" in Modern Chinese, and as "A frog in a well" in Modern Japanese, abbreviating "A frog in a well does not know the great ocean".

Other uses

It is also said to occur when a main clause is left unsaid due to a speaker interrupting him/herself to revise a thought, thus leaving the initial clause unresolved, but then making use of it nonetheless by recasting and absorbing it into a new, grammatically complete sentence. Though grammatically incorrect, anapodoton is a commonplace feature of everyday informal speech. It, therefore, appears frequently in dramatic writing and in fiction in the form of direct speech or the representation of

stream of consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. The term was coined by Daniel Oliver (physician), Daniel Ol ...

. Examples: * "If you think I'm going to sit here and take your insults..." :(implied: "then you are mistaken") *When life gives you lemons..." :(implied: "you make lemonade") *"If they came to hear me beg..." :(implied: "then they will be disappointed")

Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

'' video game series] *"The only easy day..." :(implied: "was yesterday") *"When the going gets tough..." :(implied: "the tough get going") *"If you can’t stand the heat..." :(implied: "get out of the kitchen")

References

{{Reflist Rhetorical techniques Figures of speech

Other uses

See also

References