Metaphors and similes are figures of speech used to add flair and humor to a phrase. These popular rhetorical devices are all well and good, but sometimes you just need to get to the point; enter hypocatastasis.
What is聽hypocatastasis?
Linguistically, both a hypocatastasis and a metaphor imply “a resemblance, representation or comparison.” However, hypocatastasis packs more of a punch than a metaphor because it uses only one noun, (the other noun is implied), while a metaphor uses two nouns.
For example, 鈥淵ou are a rockstar!鈥� is a metaphor because two nouns are present: you and rockstar.
But, if you simply said 鈥渞ockstar!鈥�, the you (or object) is implied, therefore creating a hypocatastasis.
Famous examples of聽hypocatastasis
Hypocatastasis is common in the Bible. For example, when Satan is simply referred to as a 鈥渟erpent;鈥� the serpent/Satan comparison is implied, thus a hypocatastasis.
