Hyperbaton
/haɪˈpɜːrbətɒn/noun
A rhetorical figure in which words that normally belong together are separated or rearranged.
Did you know?Ancient Greek rhetoricians used hyperbaton to delay a crucial word, creating suspense and emphasis—almost like a verbal incantation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷem-
“To go or come”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βαίνω (baínō)
“I go, walk, or step”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑπέρ (hypér)
“Over, beyond, or across”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑπέρβατον (hypérbaton)
“Something placed out of its normal order; literally, stepping over”
Late Antiquity
Latin
hyperbaton
“A rhetorical transposition or separation of words”
16th Century
English
hyperbaton
“A rhetorical figure involving unusual word order”