Anacoluthia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An error in a sentence structure, where the expected grammatical sequence is interrupted or altered
2. A syntactic inconsistency where the start of a sentence does not align with its conclusion
3. A deviation from conventional syntax that results in a lack of grammatical coherence in the phrasing

Etymology: Ancient Greek grammarians built the term from a simple idea: "anakolouthia" was formed from "a-" (not, without) and "akolouthos" (following, a companion), so it meant something like "not following on" or "lack of sequence." The concept was applied to sentences whose parts failed to connect in the expected order, and the word passed into Latin and then into English as a technical term of grammar and rhetoric. The surprise lies in the word's own construction: it describes the failure of a sequence by naming the absence of a following, which is exactly what happens when a sentence starts one structure and abandons it midway. A speaker who begins "The man I saw him" has, in effect, left the expected "companion" word behind.

Synonyms: grammatical inconsistency, syntax error