Wordie: Enjambment: Comments

Comment by VanishedOne, 10 months ago

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:31:09 +0000

Oui, d'accord. It will feel less ill at ease in the august company of the likes of zeugma and properispomenon if it looks imposingly foreign.

Comment by rolig, 10 months ago

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:00:24 +0000

Thanks VO, that's interesting, but I still think I will stick with the French enjambement. I don't think I can bring myself to say en-JAMB-ment.

Comment by VanishedOne, 10 months ago

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:28:46 +0000

That's also what I remember from secondary school only a few years ago.

dictionary.reference.com/browse/enjambment cites the Online Etymology Dictionary: '1837, from enjamb (1600), from Fr. enjamber "to stride over," from jambe "leg."' If that's correct then the terminal e was dropped from the verb before the noun was coined in English, and the French form developed separately.

Comment by rolig, 10 months ago

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:57:47 +0000

When was this word anglicized? When I was in college in the 1970s, I am sure it was always spelled enjambement and pronounced as a French word, with three nasal vowels and zh for the j - which made it fun saying, of course.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:31:01 +0000

Oh, I almost forgot how much I like this word!