The Structure of the Figure of Speech Istikhdām and its Identification on the Basis of Ellipsis

Istikhdām is a rhetorical figure of speech based on double entendre or polysemy.  The ambiguity that exists in defining this figure of speech in Persian rhetorical books has led to inaccurate or wrong understanding of this figure and its examples. In this article, the author intends to offer a comprehensive definition of this figure of speech by investigating the existing definitions, and classifying and summarizing them in such a way as to prevent misunderstandings and inaccuracies. In this fundamental research using library research tools, the main elements in the use of istikhdām, such as the deep structure of the phrase, semantic relationships between the words and some related grammatical features were investigated in order to define an exact method for the identification and understanding of this figure .For a better understanding, several examples given in Persian rhetorical books were analyzed to determine their components. The types of istikhdām defined in rhetorical books were also reviewed and an attempt was made to provide a coherent classification. It was found that identifying “ellipsis” in the surface erstructure of the phrase is an exact way to identify and understand istikhdām. Moreover, the relationships between some rhetorical devices and istikhdām were investigated, and it was found that they either reinforce or overlap each other.