Adnomination is when you use the same word, word phrase, or word part multiple times in the same sentence to catch your reader’s ear. (We like to show and tell on this blog, so in the previous sentence, the word “word” created the adnomination.)

The echo effect, beloved by rappers and public speakers alike, really gets around, often being leveraged as a poetic device, literary device or rhetorical device for dramatic effect. This is great for us as consumers, because more and more content is now being produced by artificial intelligence. A stylistic device is a way to show off personality (*flips hair*) and stand out.

Key Takeaways

  • The basic meaning of adnomination is to use the same root word or word part multiple times.
  • Think of it as internal rhyming.
  • It’s more of an umbrella term that applies to rhyming done in prefixes, suffixes, or word roots.
  • The technique is common in fiction writing and creative writing, but can also be used in nonfiction to give your copy more human characteristics and qualities.
  • The word repeat should ideally occur in one sentence or in close succession so that the echo is easier to pick up on.

The History of Adnomination

Adnomination comes from Latin: "ad" (to) and "nominare" (to name). In classical Greek and Roman texts, both orators and writers employed this device to create a sense of harmony and coherence in their arguments. By repeating similar-sounding words, they could make their points more compelling and easier to follow. Aristotle and Cicero used adnomination to strengthen their arguments and engage their audiences.

Fast forward to the Middle Ages, where adnomination became a popular device in religious texts and sermons. Preachers used repetition to emphasize key concepts and make their messages more impactful. This tradition continued into the Renaissance and beyond, with writers and speakers in various fields employing adnomination to great effect (Take any Shakespeare class and this will come up).

In modern times, adnomination remains a valuable tool for writers, marketers, and public speakers. It's used in advertising slogans, political speeches, and literary works to create a lasting impression on the audience.

How to Use the Same Root Word

Adnomination is kind of a blanket term, which gets a little confusing. For example, if you used adnomination in consonants, that’d be alliteration. If you used it in vowels, that is assonance. As long as you’re creating the rhyme effect, you’re getting the job done, but rhyming along the same word part tends to be more effective.

Take, for example, this famous rhyme: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.” Repeating similar sounds at the end of words creates a musical quality that sticks in the listener's mind.

Adnomination can also be used to emphasize contrast or opposites. In the statement “We must choose between freedom and fear, between progress and stagnation,” the repetition of the word “between” highlights the sentence structure and the contrasts.

If you want to be more memorable in your writing or speaking, take this tried-and-true rhetorical effect out for a spin. ⬥

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