assonance
UK[ˈæsənəns]US[ˈæsənəns]
n
The effect created when two or more words close to each other have the same vowel sound but different consonant sounds.
n
A rough similarity or correspondence.
Morpheme Breakdown
as
son
ance
as
son
ance
Etymology
The word 'assonance' is a direct borrowing from French, which itself originates from the Latin verb 'assonare', meaning 'to respond to' or 'to sound in answer to'. This Latin verb is a compound of 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'sonare' (to sound). The core concept is the act of sounds drawing near to or corresponding with each other. Over time, the meaning specialized in rhetoric and poetry to denote the specific literary device where vowel sounds in stressed syllables echo one another, creating a resonant auditory effect, while the broader sense of a general resemblance or correspondence persists.
Analysis
Structure: as + son + ance
as (Latin prefix): A variant of 'ad-', meaning 'to', 'toward', or indicating proximity.
son (Latin root): From 'sonus', meaning 'sound'.
ance (Latin suffix): A noun-forming suffix indicating a state, quality, or action.
Examples
The poet used assonance with the long 'o' sound in "cold," "old," and "bone" to create a somber mood.
There is a clear assonance between the policies of the two political parties on this issue.
The phrase "holy smoke" is an example of assonance because of the repeated 'o' sound.