English
zeugma
Zeugma comes from Ancient Greek ζεῦγμα ‘yoking’, from ζεύγνυμι ‘to yoke’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to join, to yoke, to tie together’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*yéwgos‘team of yoked animals’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEζεῦγοςzeûgos‘a yoke’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζεύγνυμιzeúgnumi‘to yoke’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζεῦγμαzeûgma‘yoking’
- Englishearliest quotation 2008zeugma
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to join, to yoke, to tie together’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*yéwgos‘team of yoked animals’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEζεῦγοςzeûgos‘a yoke’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζεύγνυμιzeúgnumi‘to yoke’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζεῦγμαzeûgma‘yoking’
- Englishearliest quotation 2008zeugma
Earliest quotation: 2008, Amanda Holton, The Sources of Chaucer's Poetics: “Thus I would describe 'He took his leave and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ‘to join, to yoke, to tie together’
join, yoga, junction, adjunct, yogi, jodi, yoke, juncture, conjugate, conjugation, jugular, zygote, yojana, subjugate, yuga, 41 more
Today it means
noun The act of using a word, particularly an adjective or verb, to apply to more than one noun when its sense is appropriate to only one.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *yewg- / zeugma