Figure Name enallage
Source Silva Rhetoricae (http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Silva.htm);Quintilian 8.6.28 (but unnamed); Peacham (1577) H3v-H4r; Putt. (1589) 182 ("enallage," "figure of exchange") ; JG Smith (1665) ("enallage"); Macbeth (1876); Holmes (1806) ("enallage"); De Mille (1882) ("antimeria," "enallage"); Raub (1888) 222; Bullinger (1898) ("enallage; or, exchange")
Earliest Source
Synonyms allage, figure of exchange, exchange, enallaxia, alloegosis
Etymology Gk. "an exchange" from enallassein "to exchange" from en "in" and allassien "to change"
Type Scheme
Linguistic Domain Syntactic

1. The substitution of grammatically different but semantically equivalent constructions.

Note: Erasmus delineated numerous specific methods of enallage as ways of varying expression by substituting equivalent expressions in order to build copia. (Silva Rhetoricae)

2. A change of order: a figure whereby the number or gender, mood, &c. are put one for another.; Enallage, Ordinis permutaetio, a change of order; derived from [enallatto] permuto, to change one thing for another; or from [enallos] inversus & praeposterus, turnd upside down and disorderly. A figure whereby the Number or Gender, Mood, Person, or Tense are changed, or put one for another. (JG Smith)

3. Enallage is the figure we proceed with - of very great vale; the use of one part of speech, or of one modification of a park of speech, for another. (Macbeth)

4. Enallage doth alter person, tense, Mood, gender, number, on the least pretence. (Holmes)

Antimeria means the substitution of one part of speech for another. It is also called enallage.
1. The use of an adjective for an adverb:
"Loud roared the blast."
"A braying ass
Did sing most loud and clear." -COWPER.
2. The use of a noun as a verb:
"To outherod Herod." "A hectoring fellow."
"Whether the charmer sinner it, or saint it,
If folly grow romantic, I must paint it." -POPE (De Mille)

6. "a change of words. The two most common forms of enallage are--the use of one part of speech for another… the use of one case for another." (Raub)

7. Exchange of one Word for another... Enallage is a figure of grammar; and consists of an exchange of words, or a substitution of one word for another. It differs from Metonymy in that Metonymy is the exchange or substitution of one noun for another noun: while Enallage is a change of one part of speech for another (Antimeria); or one tense, mood, person, or number for another (Heterosis); or one case for another (Antiptosis), but never of one noun for another. (Bullinger, 496)


1. "I consumed the triple-decker pizza" (active verb)
through enallage of mood is transformed to:
"The triple-decker pizza was consumed by me" (passive verb). (Silva Rhetoricae)

2. Psal, 14.1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God: They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, &c. See Exod. 20.2. Prov. 1.11. Matth. 1.21. Here the singular is put for the plural number; or on the contrary. (JG Smith)

3. So Shakespeare has "Carthage-queen" for Carthaginian queen. (Macbeth)

3. "Star of morn and even,
Shine on us from heaven.
From thy glory-throne
Hear they very own."
- Francis Turner Palgrave (Macbeth)

4. Alexander fights, for Alexander fought. (Holmes)

6. "[1]'The winds blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle.' [2] 'A President than whom none was more beloved.'" (Raub)

Kind Of
Part Of Substitution
Related Figures Figures of Substitution, Figures of Grammar, alleotheta, antiptosis, anthimeria, figures of syntax
Confidence Unconfident
Last Editor Ioanna Malton
Confidence Unconfident
Editorial Notes please be careful how you're entering synonyms. adding extra information like "also spelled" creates problems in how the data is displayed. see the help file for instructions. -ark
Reviewed No