Concinnity

Concinnity (from Latin concinnitas , `` artful connection, harmonic structure '') is the technical term in rhetoric for a syntactic elegance that exceeds mere grammatical correctness and a sound-rhythmic evenness of syntactically equivalent or corresponding sentences, kola or thoughts. Concinnity satisfies the demand for well-formedness, which is important in rhetoric. The term was coined by Cicero .

Outward concinnity is achieved when the speaker or writer observes the necessary balance in expression (in the tropes and figures , in sentence structure, etc.); inner concinity through the harmonious exposition of thoughts. The speeches of Demosthenes and Cicero are traditionally considered examples of a concise expression.

The opposite term inconsistency denotes a syntactically unequal construction of equivalent parts of sentences with the aim of versatility in expression.

literature

• Jens König: Concinnitas. In: Gert Ueding (Hrsg.): Historical dictionary of rhetoric . Volume 2, Niemeyer, Tübingen 1994, ISBN 3-484-68102-0 , Sp. 317-335.