What is chiasmus in simple words?

Chiasmus is a sentence in two halves where the second half reverses the order of the first: A B, then B A. “We don’t bake to sell; we sell so we can bake” is an example.

How do you pronounce chiasmus?

Say ky-AZ-mus, with a hard k sound and the stress on the second syllable: /kaɪˈæz.məs/. The plural is chiasmi (ky-AZ-my) or chiasmuses. The adjective is chiastic (ky-AS-tik).

What is a famous example of chiasmus?

John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” The words you and your country swap places in the second half.

What is the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole?

Antimetabole repeats the same words in reverse order (“eat to live, live to eat”). Chiasmus is the wider term: it reverses words, grammar or ideas, even when the words change. Many people use chiasmus for both.

Why is it called chiasmus?

The name comes from the Greek letter chi, written X. If you write the two halves one above the other and join the matching parts, the lines cross and form an X.

What is the difference between chiasmus and antithesis?

Antithesis sets opposite ideas side by side in the same order. Chiasmus flips the order in the second half. They often appear together, as in “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”

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commutability

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The quality of being commutable

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Word length: 13
Starts with: C
Ends with: Y
Contains: OM
Scrabble score: 24

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The quality of being commutable

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Exchangeability by virtue of being replaceable

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