The anacoluto is the lack of consequence when elaborating an expression.
An anacoluto is the lack of consequence in the elaboration of an expression . This is a solecism : a failure in syntax that implies a violation of the rules of the language .
Before continuing, it is important to know the etymological origin of the notion. In this case we can say that it is a word that comes from the Latin anacoluthon and this, in turn, derives from the Greek anakóluthos , which is the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated parts:
- The prefix an- , which is of a privative type.
- The term koluthos , which can be translated as "that follows."
Types of Anacolutes
The anacoluto represents a modification of the structure of the speech in full development, causing a lack of consistency . It generally appears in colloquial language , unconsciously.
It is important to establish that there are two fundamental types of anacolutos:
- The anapódoton , which consists of the repetition of a part of the phrase. For example: "If the teacher changes the exam, he changes it and then the students will have to adapt."
- The well-known anantapódoton , which is the deletion of a part of the sentence in question. An example would be the following: "In the past there were many important conflicts" , when the correct thing would be to say "In the past there were many important conflicts" .
There are different types of anacoluto.
How they are generated
When a pronoun is used to introduce a relative clause and said pronoun does not have a defined syntactic function, an anacoluto is produced. For example: "They have launched a drink that makes anyone who drinks it grow several centimeters."
An anacoluto is also generated when the speaker pronounces a noun phrase that seemed oriented toward assuming the role of subject of the expression , but that ultimately does not fulfill said function: "My sister, her in-laws have fields in La Pampa." The correct construction of said phrase could be "My sister's in-laws have fields in La Pampa."
Anacolutos by mistake
It is possible to find anacolutos in poorly constructed expressions such as "I sell silk shirts for men" , "The company is dedicated to manufacturing sunglasses for women" or "Postmodernism is when the authors are skeptical."
If certain terms are missing or superfluous, on the other hand, an anacoluto can arise. The phrase "Developed cities have good transportation infrastructure" carries an anacolute: it should be expressed as "Developed cities have good transportation infrastructure" or "In developed cities the inhabitants have good transportation infrastructure at their disposal."
A rhetorical device
It should be noted that the anacoluto can be a rhetorical device used by a writer to provoke an aesthetic effect .
Other examples of anacolutos are the following:
- "My house is far from yours."
- "We spent the whole day from place to place."
- "You can go play in the park as long as you do your homework and study."
- "The afternoon at the movies is on my parents."
- "I must get to work as soon as possible."
- "In the human resources company we receive five people an hour."
- "It just so happens that your neighbor is my co-worker."