parallelism
UK[ˈpærəlelɪzəm]US[ˈpærəˌlelɪzəm]
n
the state or condition of being parallel; similarity or correspondence in some aspect.
n
the use in writing or speech of successive phrases or sentences with similar or identical grammatical structure, used for rhetorical effect.
Morpheme Breakdown
parallel
ism
parallel
beside one another
ism
Etymology
the word 'parallelism' is built upon the greek adjective 'parallēlos', which itself is a compound of 'para' ("beside") and 'allēlōn' ("one another"), literally meaning "beside one another". the suffix '-ismos' was a highly productive greek noun-forming element denoting an action, result, or state. entering english via latin and french, the combined form 'parallelism' thus logically denotes the state or condition of being parallel. its rhetorical sense, referring to the structural correspondence of phrases, is a direct metaphorical extension from the geometric concept of lines running side-by-side without meeting, emphasizing a consistent and analogous relationship.
Analysis
Structure: parallel + ism
parallel: from greek 'parallēlos', meaning "beside one another". in this word, it functions as the core adjective/root meaning "side-by-side, comparable".
ism: from greek suffix '-ismos', forming nouns of action, state, or principle. in this word, it functions as a noun-forming suffix indicating a state, condition, or doctrine.
Examples
the architect emphasized the parallelism of the two wings of the building.
the poet's use of parallelism created a powerful and rhythmic effect in the verse.
researchers noted a clear parallelism between the economic trends of the two decades.