apostrophe

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apostrophe

apostrophe figure of speech in which an absent person, a personified inanimate being, or an abstraction is addressed as though present. The term is derived from a Greek word meaning "a turning away," and this sense is maintained when a narrative or dramatic thread is broken in order to digress by speaking directly to someone not there, e.g., "Envy, be silent and attend!" —Alexander Pope, "On a Certain Lady at Court."

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apostrophe

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

apostrophe2 †omission of a sound or letter; the sign' denoting this. XVII. — F. apostrophe or late L. apostrophes — late Gr. apóstrophos (see prec.); assim. to prec.

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T. F. HOAD. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (December 1, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-apostrophe1.html

T. F. HOAD. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved December 01, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-apostrophe1.html

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apostrophe

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 2003, originally published by Oxford University Press 2003. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

apostrophe (from Greek, ‘to turn away’), a figure of speech in which the writer rhetorically addresses a dead or absent person or abstraction.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (December 1, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-apostrophe.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "apostrophe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved December 01, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-apostrophe.html

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