| 释义 |
† ˈparagram Obs.
[f. Gr. phrase τὰ παρὰ γράµµα σκώµµατα, lit. ‘jokes by the letter’.]
A kind of play upon words, consisting in the alteration of one letter or group of letters of a word.
By some writers restricted to the change of the initial letter or letters, as in Biberius Mero for Tiberius Nero, but Aristotle included such as κόλαξ for κόραξ.
a1679Hobbes Rhetorick iii. x. (1681) 116 Paragrams; that is, allusions of words are graceful, if they be well placed. 1711Addison Spect. No. 61 ⁋2 Aristotle..describes two or three kinds of Puns, which he calls Paragrams. 1753W. Melmoth tr. Cicero's Lett. iv. xviii, Unless it be some smart pun, or elegant hyperbole, some striking paragram, or some arch and unexpected turn. Note, A Paragram is a species of the pun which consists in changing the initial letters of a name.
So paraˈgrammatist [Gr. *παραγραµµατιστής: see prec. and -ist], a maker of ‘paragrams’.
1711Addison Spect. No. 61 ⁋3 A Gentleman whom he looked upon to be the greatest Paragrammatist among the Moderns. |