Paradistole: The Disjunctive Form

Wherever many disjunctives, such as either/or and neither/nor, are located at the beginning of successive phrases, sentences, or series of words, the writing structure is called a paradiastole. In this form, "one word is repeated at the beginning of successive sentences." This form of repetition, a type of anaphora, "separates and distinguishes" phrases rather than connects their similarities. Thus it can also be defined as a "putting together of dissimilar things." It often serves to establish a contrast or opposition.

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An extract from Hugh W. Pinnock, Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999), 27.

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