Semantic Relations in the Phenomenon of Syllepsis

Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1- (A-), University of Cologne (English Seminar), course: Hauptseminar Studies in English Semantics, language: English, abstract: This paper aims at investigating the linguistic phenomenon of syllepsis, which is done at three stages. First, the linguistic mechanisms of ambiguity, on which syllepsis is based, are described and their communicative effect is hinted at. Further, zeugma is presented in short as an adjoining figure. Finally, syntactic and semantic varieties of syllepsis are approached with a closer look at the latter. Semantic syllepsis presents the core of this investigation and the word which governs the elliptic parallel construction is elaborated upon. Punning, as the communicative effect of syllepsis, is discussed in great detail. A broader definition of syllepsis following from this exposé is given at the end and is invigorated by a comparison to film montage.