in medias res
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin in mediās rēs (literally “into the middle of things”).
Pronunciation edit
Adverb edit
in medias res (not comparable)
- In the middle of a storyline.
- Synonym: in-between
- Coordinate term: ab ovo
- This novel begins in medias res.
- 2008, Don Gifford, Robert J. Seidman, Ulysses Annotated: Notes for James Joyce's Ulysses, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 2:
- As in a good epic, Ulysses begins in medias res and fills us in on Stephen's life since the end of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by flashback; and by the flashback of memory we are given the story of Molly's and Bloom's lives.
- 2012, H. David Brumble, Classical Myths and Legends in the Middle Ages and Renaissance […] , Routledge, →ISBN:
- Homer begins in medias res. Then, well into the poem, he takes us back to tell us about the events that make up the beginning of the story. The Odyssey, for example, begins in the tenth year of Odysseus's wanderings; […]
Adjective edit
in medias res (not comparable)
- Beginning in the middle of its storyline: said of a work of literature or a film.
- Although not strictly in medias res, the film uses flashbacks extensively.
Noun edit
in medias res (uncountable)
- Narrative presented in medias res.
- 2010 (March 31st, 5:00pm): Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, “Final Fantasy XIII” reviewed by Zero Punctuation, 2:03–2:16
- Anyway, the characters have been introduced but by no means established. I know Final Fantasy’s always been big on in medias res, but even the most basic questions about the plot remain unanswered. Who the fuck are these people? What is going on? Why should I care? Can I stop playing now? Please?
- 2010 (March 31st, 5:00pm): Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, “Final Fantasy XIII” reviewed by Zero Punctuation, 2:03–2:16
Usage notes edit
Often incorrectly rendered as "in media res".
Further reading edit
- in medias res on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams edit
Spanish edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin in mediās rēs (literally “into the middle of things”).
Pronunciation edit
Adverb edit
in medias res
Adjective edit
in medias res (invariable)
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “in medias res”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014