What Is a Logosglyph?

by Craig Shrives

Logosglyph

A logosglyph is a word that looks like what it means.

The word logosglyph literally means "word carving." It is a compound noun derived from the Greek words for word (logos) and carving (glyphe).

Logosglyphs are a form of figurative language, which covers unusual or imaginative word constructions. Logosglyphs contrast with onomatopoeic words, which sound like what they represent. Logosglyphs look like what they represent.

Easy Examples of Logosglyphs

  • The word bed looks like a bed.
  • The word eye looks like a pair of eyes and a nose.
  • The Hungarian word ollo means scissors and looks like a pair of scissors.

More Examples of Logosglyphs

  • A geek with come-to-bed eyes.
    • (In this example, the word geek is a logosglyph too, given it is about eyes.)
  • She had eyes like pools.
    • (In this example, the word pools is also a logosglyph because the oo portrays large, round, pool-like eyes.)

When used to describe eyes, pools is a logosglyph.
  • Tall legs like stilts.
    • (In this example, all the words can be classified as logosglyphs as their letters (particularly the Ls) give a sense of height.)

Why Should I Care about Logosglyphs?

Logosglyphs are typically used in poetry to bring an idea to life by appealing directly to the sense of sight. You might also encounter the odd one in a company logo. They are rare, but bear them in mind for the following two reasons.

(Reason 1) Grab a few more points in an English literature exam.

If an author or poet you're studying has used a logosglyph, be sure to mention it to snatch a few easy extra points.
  • Host of golden daffodils.
    • (This is an extract from "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth. The Os bring the round head of daffodils to mind.)

(Reason 2) Showcase your poetry skills by including a logosglyph.

If your logosglyph is a good likeness for your idea and well-placed in your poem, your readers will spot it and enjoy it.

Key Points

  • If you see a logosglyph when analyzing someone's work, acknowledge it to bag a few easy points.
  • Showcase your poetry skills by including a logosglyph.
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See Also

What is consonance? What is alliteration? Try our anagram builder. Glossary of grammatical terms