We explain what juxtaposition is, the origin of the term and its meaning in art. Also, juxtaposition in grammar and examples.
What is juxtaposition?
With the word juxtaposition we refer, in general, to the addition or association of two terms or elementsso that they form one. This term, used in very different areas, which comes from two different Latin voices: juxtatranslatable as “next to”, and I will put“place”. Thus, the things that are juxtaposed are in some way coordinated, annexed, integrated or simply one placed on top of the other.
It is common to find this word as a description of a relationship between two elements, whether real and concrete or mental and abstract. For example, geology uses it to call the mode of increase or “growth” of minerals, consisting of adding and adding particles of the same element on their surface (unlike living beings, which assimilate them inside their bodies). , that is, they grow by intussusception).
In other areas, such as philosophy or sociology, we speak of juxtaposition to refer to the overlap of two cultures or two traditions, different from hybridization or fusion, which composes a new culture from several original ones.
Juxtaposition in grammar
In grammar, three processes of construction of compound sentences are distinguished from several simple ones: coordination (using links and keeping sentences at the same hierarchical level), subordination (submitting one sentence to the other in importance), and finally, the juxtaposition.
This last It consists of the overlapping of the sentences, without the need to add links as a bridge between one and the other.although punctuation marks (comma, semicolon) are usually used.
In this way, it is an economical, fast mechanism, although not very precise, since it allows a certain margin of ambiguity that can distort the meaning of what is said. It is very common in colloquial language, although it can also be used as a stylistic resource in a literary work.
Some examples of juxtaposition in this sense would be the following:
- “My brother-in-law speaks English, plays tennis, composes poems.”
- “Mary arrived from Stockholm; “Now we are going to hear good stories.”
- “The police showed up, the sellers disappeared.”
- “Buy me shoes, I need them.”
Juxtaposition in art
In the world of art, and generally in the visual arts, juxtaposition is understood as the coexistence of two different elements, not necessarily antagonistic, that when put together make up a new meaning or they mutually alter their meanings, producing grace, irony, etc. in the viewer.
It can be said, for example, that two colors in a painting cause, when juxtaposed, a tension, an expressive force that they would not have on their own; Or we can rather refer to the joining of two different traditions (religious, cultural, aesthetic, etc.) in the same piece. At the same time, a perfect example of juxtaposition is collages, in which different images are superimposed to build a new one.
Continue with: Asyndeton
References
- “Juxtaposition” in the Dictionary of the Language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Juxtaposition (grammar)” on Wikipedia.
- “Juxtaposition (ontology)” on Wikipedia.
- “What is juxtaposition?” at Oregon State University (United States).
- “Juxtaposition” in Portal de Arte (Chile).
