Parisosis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rhetorical figure in which parallel clauses or phrases are made roughly equal in length and structure for balance
2. The stylistic device of arranging paired phrases or clauses so that they match closely in length and grammatical form
3. A balanced arrangement of successive clauses of similar size and construction, used in classical rhetoric for emphasis

Etymology: Parisosis is a rhetorical term for a balanced arrangement of parallel clauses that are roughly equal in length and structure, as in "Friends in prosperity, enemies in adversity." It comes from Greek "parison", meaning "equality" or "equal parts", formed from "para" (equal to, alongside) and "isos" (equal). The Greek "parison" was a term used by ancient rhetoricians for this kind of balanced phrasing, and English took the word from Greek through Latin, where "parisosis" appears in the rhetorical handbooks. The core idea is simple: the two halves of a sentence mirror each other in sound and shape, so the reader feels the symmetry before grasping the sense. Ancient orators such as Gorgias were known for this style of balanced antithesis, which is why the term is closely associated with the Greek sophists. The word is a noun, and its plural is "parisoses". It belongs to the same family as "isosceles", a triangle with two equal sides, which shares the Greek "isos".

Synonyms: isocolon, parison