Redirected from Paronomasia
The word itself is thought to be originally a contraction of the (now archaic) pundigrion. This latter term is thought to have originated from punctillious, which itself derived from the italian puntiglio (meaning "a fine point"). These etymological sources are reported in the Oxford English Dictionary, which nonetheless labels them "conjecture".
Although there are several varieties of puns, there are two main linguistic methods for creating them:
The compound pun is one in which multiple puns are colocated for additional and amplified effect. An example of this is the following story: A woman had three sons who emigrated from Ireland to the USA. They prospered and soon became the owners of a large cattle ranch. They weren't, however, sure what to call it, so they wrote back to their mother for advice. She sent a one-word reply on a postcard: Focus. Puzzled, they wrote back for an explanation. Her response was (wait for it): "It's where the sons raise meat". (sun's rays meet)
Puns are also found in serious literature. See Alexander Pope, James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, and others discussed under word play.
Numerous pun formats exist, see also:
See also:
See also: Humor
Search Encyclopedia
|
Featured Article
|