| colon | |
| ko'-lon | Gk. “clause” |
| membrum, membrum orationis | |
| clause | |
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Roughly equivalent to “clause” in English, except that the emphasis is on seeing this part of a sentence as needing completion, either with a second colon (or membrum) or with two others (forming a tricolon). When cola (or membra) are of equal length, they form isocolon. | |
| Colon or membrum is also best understood in terms of differing speeds of style that depend upon the length of the elements of a sentence. The Ad Herennium author contasts the slower speed of concatenated membra to the quicker speed of words joined together without conjunction (articulus). | ||
| Examples | ||
| Each
of the three membra in the following sentence is numbered: (1) You have not considered the well-being of the country, (2) nor have you seen to the welfare of your friends, (3) nor have you resisted your enemies. —Ad Herennium |
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| Related Figures | ||
| See Also | ||
| Sources: | Primary sources Ad Herennium 4.19.26; Sherry (1550) 57 ("colon," "membrum") | |
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