ecphonesis
- noun
- /ɛkˈfoʊnəsɪs/
- Literature
:
ecfrasis
- ECPHONESIS: vehement exclamation expressing emotion (sometimes equivalent to apostrophe):
Examples
-
The author's use of ecphonesis in her speech brought the audience to tears, emphasizing her emotional connection to the topic.
-
Poe's frequent use of ecphonesis is surely responsible to a large degree for the charge that he wrote in such an overwrought style.
Academic text (1997) -
Some rhetors insist that the epiphonema must be an exclamation (that is, must include ecphonesis).
Academic text (1999) -
ECPHONESIS: see Zimmerman, "Catalogue" (743); Zimmerman, "Versatility" (109-10).
Academic text (1999) -
In the play, the character's sudden ecphonesis highlighted her despair, making the moment feel more dramatic.
-
His passionate ecphonesis during the debate captivated everyone, showcasing his strong feelings on the issue.
Synonyms
5
3.2
A word or short phrase used to show sudden strong feeling in speech and writing
How Exclamatory
- US
15
6.0
52
4.6
- Literature
12
3.4
- Specialized
1
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
ecphonesis = ecphone (opaque) = ecphone + esis
The meaning of 'ecphonesis' is not transparently derived from its components.
Etymology
Ecphonesis comes from Greek parts ec- 'out' and phone 'voice'. The root phone is the same as in telephone and microphone, so an ecphonesis is literally a 'voice out', meaning a sudden loud cry or emotional shout used to show strong feeling.