English

Etymology
From the Gr. periphrasis. Cf. F. périphrastique.

Pronunciation
(Canada) IPA|/�p�r��fræstɪk/
Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-æstɪk|-æstɪk

Adjective
periphrastic

1. expressed in more word|words than are necessary

#:1916 Martin Brown Ruud¹ :
#::As poetry it does not measure up to Aasen; as translation it is periphrastic, arbitrary, not at all faithful.

1. grammar characterized by periphrase or circumlocution.

#:: "The daughter of the man" may be used as a periphrastic synonym for "the man's daughter"

1. indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory

#:1870 Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in Vril: The Power of the Coming Race² :
#::In writing, they deem it irreverent to express the Supreme Being [... and] in conversation they generally use a periphrastic epithet, such as the All-Good.

Related terms
periphrase
periphrasis
periphrastic conjugation

pl:periphrastic
ru:periphrastic
vi:periphrastic
zh:periphrastic

• 2007-04-06 20:03 - Keffy - Moved out Websters 1913 content; some formatting

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