chiasmus Hear it!

chiasmus Definition

chi·as·mus (kī az′məs)

noun pl. -·as′mi′-mī′

Rhetoric inversion of the second of two parallel phrases, clauses, etc. (Ex.: she went to Paris; to New York went he)

Etymology: ModL < Gr chiasmos: see chiasma

chiasmus Related Forms

chi·as′·tic (-as′tik) adjective

chiasmus Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • thematic: In a psalm which has a chiastic structure one would expect also to find a thematic chiasmus.
  • structural: As has been mentioned above, Auffret argued against a structural chiasmus because of a lack of a thematic correspondence.