A catachresis is one of dozens of figures of speech used in the Portuguese language It is present especially in the everyday life of Brazilians, in the midst of daily and banal dialogues.

By definition, catachresis is the use of a term that is distinct from its original context to name (figuratively) some element or some situation that does not have a specific name or characterization.

What is catachresis and what is its origin?

Given this definition, the catachresis as one of the countless words in the Portuguese vocabulary (among others), has a Greek origin, coming from the word katákhresis In this sense, in ancient Greek, this word had the meaning of "improper use of language".

In contrast to what is often thought about the Portuguese vocabulary, there are some statements that show us how our language was built. In this sense, of course, it is known that Portuguese originated from Latin, a dead language.

However, many terms and words used in the Latin-derived countries including Brazil, also have in their vocabulary Greek influences This, in turn, is due to the fact that Greece was widely recognized as a forerunner of the sciences, especially of linguistic elements, and catachresis is one of these elements that is so common in the Portuguese language.

Definition of the figure of speech catachresis

Consequently, having already presented what catachresis is, it is curious to think what a figure of speech is in itself. In view of this, figures of speech are expressions used by people in order to attribute a connotative meaning, that is, a meaning that escapes the dictionary definitions.

In this way, catachresis is a connotative linguistic tool, and this means that we attribute the use of it in specific contexts, which escape from the literal meaning of the word. a more casual mode of language .

Difference between catachresis and prosopopeia

In some cases of the use of catachresis, It is possible to confuse it with other figures of speech, such as prosopopeia/personification. In view of this, prosopopeia/personification, although similar to catachresis, has another usage.

While catachresis is defined as the use of a term outside its real and literal meaning (to give meaning to something that does not have its own name), prosopopoeia is different.

Therefore, many people confuse the two figures of speech because prosopopoeia is defined as the use of human characteristics to types of inanimate beings As an example, we have the sentence "The flowers danced beautifully in the spring.

How to identify a catachresis?

Thus, while prosopopeia attributes sentimental characteristics to inanimate or irrational beings, catachresis creates a name that doesn't exist for an object. In this sense, it is simple to identify it just by noticing the context in which it is being used.

As said before, the Greek word katákhresis having its definition as "misuse" or "improper use", already brings indications of how to identify its presence in some speech. It is possible to identify it when one perceives its totally subjective meaning and that it only works in that communication situation.

Examples of catachresis in everyday life

Moreover, this subjective "misuse" is not only present in speech during oral dialogues, since it is very broad, with a multitude of examples.

In this way, many writers of children's fables, or even other literary works, use catachresis as a resource. This is because this figure of speech is very interesting and curious, giving an "extra" meaning to the text or even a poetic notion. Besides, above all, it is part of the culture.

Moreover, another example is catachresis being used in cooking recipes, such as "Use a clove of garlic for the rice" or "Use a dash of olive oil for the seasoning." Therefore, it can be stated that the use of this figure of speech is observed in various contexts in our Portuguese language.

Examples of sentences with the use of catachresis

Below is a list of phrases with the use of catachresis, all possibly already used at some point in the our daily life or from our readings .

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

• "The wing of the cup broke."
• "I bought two heads of garlic at the supermarket."
• "I have a bruise on the roof of my mouth."
• "The stove mouth is not working!".

Some other examples are: "the apple of the girl's cheek was flushed with embarrassment"; "how my leg hurts after the gym!"; "I hit my finger on the foot of the bed"; "I'm boarding the plane at 3 pm"; "we hiked and climbed the foot of the hill!".

Catachresis in musical compositions and literature

Even more, some examples in songs: "What is what it is/ that has wing but doesn't fly?/ what is what it is/ that has wing but doesn't fly?/ it's the teapot/ of my crown/ it's the teapot/ of my crown" (O que é O que é, by Jovelina Pérola Negra).

Other verses that are built with the same figure of speech (Composição Estranha, by Renato Rocha and Ronaldo Tapajos Santos):

• "I wore the moon face."
• "The wings of the wind."
• "The Arms of the Sea";
• "The foot of the mountain (...)".

Besides this, we have the song "Maçã Do Rosto", by the singer Djavan, which serves as an example right from the title of the lyrics: "Love me slowly/ Without making an effort/ I'm dying for your love/ To feel that taste/ That you have in the apple of your face/ That you have in the apple of your face.

Gilberto Gil's famous song to the children's program "Sítio do Pica-Pau Amarelo" also exemplifies catachresis with the verse "Banana marmalade..."

Regarding literary excerpts, we have the presence of catachresis in poetry and prose, such as the poem "Inutilidades", by José Paulo Paes, a writer from São Paulo:

"Nobody scratches the back of the chair

Nobody sucks the shirt sleeve

The piano never wags its tail

It has a wing, but does not fly, the cup

What good is the foot of the table if it does not walk?

And the mouth of the pants, if it never speaks?

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

The button is not always in your home.

The garlic clove does not bite anything.

(...)"

In short, we can conclude that this figure of speech is found in several moments in which we use our language, whether in routine speech, in reading literary excerpts, in cooking recipes, or in the act of listening to music.

If you enjoyed this content, then be sure to like and share it on your social networks, as this will encourage us to continue producing quality content for our readers.