Aeolism
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The use of the Aeolic language or its syntactic structures. uncountable
"This approach, however, of Aeolians to Ionians is ambiguous and accidental, and historical indications go far to show that their distinction was all but primitive; that Dorism developed independently from an Aeolism with which Ionism was already in marked contrast, at some point of earlier departure, rather than that Ionism and Dorism together were collateral shoots from an original main Aeolic stem."
- 2 A fictional religion in the works of Jonathan Swift that worships the wind in general, and rhetorical form over substance in particular. uncountable
"Of course Aeolism is only a satirical invention, but it has a general application to all absurd philosophising (also to 'common sense' - a terrifying twist, this, uniquely Swiftian)."
- 3 Alternative form of Aeolism. alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
"Examines features of Homeric language, especially the question of aeolisms and fixed epithets, and concludes that some Homeric words were preserved from the Mycenaean age as a result of oral epic technique, a conclusion later supported by decipherment of Linear B."
- 4 A usage of Aeolic within a work in another language. countable
"Cassola regards the short form as an Aeolism (cf. Chantraine I, 161-3), which from an epic point of view would be an archaism."
- 5 A tendency toward rhetorical embellishments. broadly, uncountable
"Aeolism, or the emphasis on the form or sound of words per se rather than on their meaning or sense, presently flourishes under many dignified guises."
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- 6 A reference to or instance of wind; windiness. countable
"'Aeolisms abound in the course of the episode; 'big blow out,' 'the vent of his jacket,' 'windfall when he kicks out,' etc.""
Example
More examples"This approach, however, of Aeolians to Ionians is ambiguous and accidental, and historical indications go far to show that their distinction was all but primitive; that Dorism developed independently from an Aeolism with which Ionism was already in marked contrast, at some point of earlier departure, rather than that Ionism and Dorism together were collateral shoots from an original main Aeolic stem."
Etymology
From Aeolic + -ism.
From Aeolus, the Greek god of wind.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.