define the following with suitable examples (1) pun (2) syllable (3) assonance (4) synecdoche
Answers
Pun
Pun Definition
A pun is a play on words that produces a humorous effect by using a word that suggests two or more meanings, or by exploiting similar sounding words that have different meanings.
Humorous effects created by puns depend upon the ambiguities the words entail. These ambiguities arise mostly in homophones and homonyms. For instance, in the sentence, “A happy life depends on a liver,” the word liver can refer to the bodily organ, or simply a person who lives. Similarly, in the saying “Atheism is a non-prophet institution,” the word “prophet” is used instead of “profit” to produce a humorous effect.
A syllable is a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and that is pronounced as a unit. So, for example, 'book' has one syllable, and 'reading' has two syllables.
Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds.
For instance, in the following sentence:
“Men sell the wedding bells.”
The same vowel sound of the short vowel “-e-” repeats itself in almost all the words, excluding the definite article. The words do share the same vowel sounds, but start with different consonant sounds – unlike alliteration, which involves repetition of the same consonant sounds. Below are a few assonance examples that are common.
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that refers to a part of something is substituted to stand in for the whole, or vice versa. For example, the phrase “all hands on deck” is a demand for all of the crew to help, yet the word “hands”—just a part of the crew—stands in for the whole crew.
Synecdoche is a subset of metonymy. We explore the similarities and differences between the two in more detail below. Synecdoche and metonymy are also considered forms of metaphor in that all three literary devices involve a substitution of one term for another that requires a conceptual link. Synecdoche can sometimes be described as a form of personification in the cases when it substitutes a human element for a non-human organization, such as referring to a weapon falling into “the wrong hands.” In this case, the human element of “hands” stands in for an opposing group.
The word synecdoche comes from the Ancient Greek word synekdoche, which means “simultaneous understanding.”