Prozeugma, also called praeiunctio, proepizeuxis, iniunctum, "ringleader" zeugma, ante-yoke, and synezeugmenon, is a figure of speech with one governing verb occurring in the first of several clauses of a sentence, which is then applied in all subsequent clauses of that sentence, without restating the verb.
The ancient Roman orator Cicero made extensive use of all manner of zeugma and syllepsis in his rhetoric, including prozeugma, such as in these lines taken from his Pro Cluentio:
Vicit pudorem libido timorem audacia rationem amentia.
"Desire overpowered modesty; audacity, fear; senselessness, reason."
The verb vicit, "overpowered," is applied again, without restating it, in each clause after the first, in defiance of the classical Latin convention that verbs are typically found at the ends of sentences or clauses.
English author George Puttenham uses it in the line,
Her beauty pierced mine eye, her speech mine woeful heart, her presence all the powers of my discourse.
Prozeugma differs from hypozeugma in that hypozeugma features the governing word placed in the end of the final clause of the sentence. Prozeugma differs from diazeugma in that diazeugma has one noun subject applied to multiple verbs, rather than one verb applied to multiple noun subjects and objects.
Etymology
From the Greek πρό (pró, “before”) and ζεῦγμα (zeûgma, "yoke").
Iron Noder 2020, 8/30