Anastrophe
/əˈnæstrəfi/noun
A rhetorical device in which the usual order of words is deliberately reversed.
Did you know?The term comes from Greek rhetoric, where “turning back” described a deliberate inversion of normal word order for emphasis, rhythm, or dramatic force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*strebʰ-
“To twist, turn, or wind”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀναστροφή (anastrophē)
“A turning back, reversal, or inversion”
Classical Greek
Greek
ἀναστροφή
“A rhetorical reversal of normal word order”
Late Antiquity
Latin
anastrophē
“A rhetorical inversion adopted from Greek”
16th Century
English
anastrophe
“A figure of speech involving unusual inversion”
Modern English
English
anastrophe
“Deliberate reversal of the customary syntactic order”
Explore more surprising origins