Paragoge is the addition of a letter or syllable to the end of a word for emphasis without changing its meaning. It can occur in translation or to fit the flow of a language or literary construction. It helps experts understand language dynamics and can benefit writers as artists.
Paragoge is the addition of a letter or syllable to the end of a word. The word comes from the Greek para, meaning beyond, and goge, meaning to carry. This term is generally applied to various kinds of vowel or consonantal additions which are not true suffixes, but generally decorative additions intended to add emphasis, but which do not change the common meaning of the word.
Some experts explain some types of paragoge as changes to a word due to “nativization.” Some of these changes occur in the translation of a word between different languages. A word ending in a simple consonant in one language may be given an additional vowel in other languages, sometimes to indicate gender, add emphasis, or simply conform the word construction to an existing lexicon.
Other experts define paragoge as a specific type of metaplasm. This word generally refers to alterations of words. In some definitions, these changes are made to help the word fit better into the flow of a particular language. In some cases, paragoge can help a word fit the meter of a poem or other literary construction. In other cases, the paragoge might be an asset to making words sound good in a language that has specific vowels and consonants. These types of general word modifications are an example of how language is dynamic and changes over time, where common usage typically determines correctness within a speech community, regardless of technical grammar and rules.
An example of paragoge in English is the tendency to add extra consonants to words. For example, adding letters to the word “between” for the resulting word “between” does not greatly alter the meaning of that word. It helps to conform speech to a specific lexical and linguistic style. Poets and writers have produced many more examples of this type of word modification, mostly to improve the sound of language or to innovate the spoken word to help it appeal to specific audiences.
Looking at the various types of paragoge helps linguistic experts understand how language is used in a given era or social context. These changes, whether ornamental or functional, reveal more about how the dynamics of language change over time. Learning about these changes can also benefit poets and writers as artists.
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