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Conduplicatio is a kind of repetition where a word is repeated several times in various places across a sentence, passage, poem, or paragraph. It is also known as Reduplication.
Pronunciation Guide:
Conduplicatio: Con (as is Corn)-- du (as in do)-- pli (as in split)-- ca (as in Kate)-- ti (as in she)-- o (as in O)
Let us look into a few examples:
Example:
My hobby is reading
It helps me
In thought breeding.
It takes me to places
Near and far,
It keeps my rational
Doors ajar.
It teaches me
To cackle and cry
Without wings
It lets me fly.
I wish
If all the children could read,
In constructing a vigorous society,
Then we shall succeed.
It helps me
In thought breeding.
It takes me to places
Near and far,
It keeps my rational
Doors ajar.
It teaches me
To cackle and cry
Without wings
It lets me fly.
I wish
If all the children could read,
In constructing a vigorous society,
Then we shall succeed.
The above poem is called "My hobby: Reading" by Arunachalam Chandrashekharan. The word "it" is repeated several times across the poem, following no proper order. This is a case of conduplicatio.
In this kind of repetition, the words can be repeated anywhere in a sentence or a paragraph.
The following is a poem by Lois Lbnski. It is called "Sing a Song of People". Let us see how the repetition is used.
Example:
Sing a song of people
Walking fast or slow;
People in the city,
Up and down they go.
Walking fast or slow;
People in the city,
Up and down they go.
People on the side walk,
People on the bus;
People passing, passing,
In back and front of us.
People on the subway
Underneath the ground;
People riding taxis
Round and round and round.
People with their hats on,
Going in the doors;
People with umbrellas
When it rains and pours.
People in tall buildings
And in stores below;
Riding elevators
Up and down they go.
And in stores below;
Riding elevators
Up and down they go.
People walking singly,
People in a crowd;
People saying nothing,
People talking loud.
People laughing, smiling,
Grumpy people too;
People who just hurry
And never look at you!
Sing a song of people
Who like to come and go;
Sing of city people
You see but never know!
In the above poem, the word "people" is used several times in several places. They also appear without any order; in some cases, the word appears at the beginning of a sentence; in some other cases, the word is at the end. There are also lines where the word is the middle. This is a case of conduplicatio.
Hence, conduplicatio means the duplicating or repetition of words in a sentence, passage, or poem without following a proper rule and order.
Conduplicatio used in the poem "Macavity: The Mystery Cat":
Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw —
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air —
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity’s not there!
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime — Macavity’s not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air —
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity’s not there!
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square —
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there!
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square —
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there!
The word "Macavity" is repeated several times throughout the poem. This is an example of conduplicatio.
- State Council of Educational Research and Training (2019). Term-1 English Standard-8. My Hobby: Reading - Arunachalam Chandrashekharan (pp. 95-98). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
- National Council of Educational Research and Training (2008). Marigold. Sing a song of people-Lois Lbnski (pp. 148-149). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
Reference:
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