periphrasisan

Periphrasisan is a term used in linguistic and literary discussions to describe and analyze the use of periphrasis in language. It designates a focus on circumlocutory constructions—expressions that convey a meaning with more words or with a descriptive phrase rather than a single concise form. In this sense, periphrasisan can function as both a noun (the periphrasisan device) and an adjective (periphrasisan construction). The concept is not widely standardized in formal grammars, but it appears in discussions of language typology, stylistics, and historical change.

Origin and scope: The term combines periphrasis, the figure of speech or grammatical strategy of expressing a simple idea by circumlocutory phrasing, with the suffix -an, indicating a class of phenomena or a theoretical stance. It is used to categorize and compare languages or registers that rely heavily on periphrastic means to encode tense, aspect, mood, evidentiality, negation, or entire predication.

Functional aspects: Periphrasisan phenomena can include periphrastic future and perfect forms, analytic voice strategies, or narrative devices that expand description rather than compress it. It is particularly salient in languages undergoing grammaticalization, where older inflectional forms dissolve into periphrastic sequences, or in literary prose that favors explicit circumlocution for effect.

Relation to other concepts: While related to circumlocution and to periphrasis, periphrasisan emphasizes systematic, typological, or stylistic analysis rather than rhetorical embellishment alone. See also periphrasis, circumlocution, grammaticalization.