paratactic
UK[ˌpærəˈtæktɪk]US[ˌpærəˈtæktɪk]
adj
Relating to or using a style of writing or speaking in which sentences, clauses, or phrases are placed one after another without using conjunctions to show their relationship.
adj
In grammar, describing the placing of clauses or phrases side by side without coordinating or subordinating connectives.
Morpheme Breakdown
para
tact
ic
para
beside
tact
arrange
ic
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'paratactic' is built from Greek elements that literally describe an arrangement placed side by side. The prefix para- ("beside") combines with the root taktos ("arranged"), which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root tag-, meaning "to touch, handle, or put in order." The suffix -ic forms an adjective. In classical rhetoric and grammar, this structure evolved from a literal sense of placing elements alongside one another to the specific linguistic concept of coordinating independent clauses without explicit connectives. Thus, the modern abstract meaning retains the core logic of its components: a syntactic arrangement where elements are juxtaposed rather than hierarchically subordinated.
Analysis
Structure: para (beside) + tact (arrange) + ic (adjective suffix)
- para: A prefix of Greek origin meaning "beside," "alongside," "beyond," or "amiss."
- tact: A root from Greek taktos, meaning "arranged" or "ordered," from the verb tassein, "to arrange."
- ic: An adjective-forming suffix of Greek and Latin origin, meaning "of, pertaining to, or characterized by."
Examples
The author's paratactic style, using short, simple sentences, creates a sense of urgency and immediacy.
Ancient epic poetry often features paratactic structures, linking events with a simple "and."
Linguists contrast paratactic constructions with hypotactic ones, which rely on subordinating conjunctions.