Enallage

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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]

1 Pluralization
2 Person
3 Mood
4 Incorrect Grammar
5 References

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.