Circumlocution
/ˌsɝː.kəm.loʊˈkjuː.ʃən/noun
Indirect or roundabout speech or writing.
Did you know?Circumlocution comes from Latin circumlocutio, and in classical rhetoric it was a recognized technique for speaking around a topic without naming it directly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to turn, bend, or curve”
Latin
Latin
circum
“around, in a circle”
Latin
Latin
loqui
“to speak”
Latin
Latin
circumlocutio
“a speaking around, indirect expression”
Late Middle English
English
circumlocucion
“roundabout speech or indirect wording”
Modern English
English
circumlocution
“indirect or evasive speech”
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