Explanation
Deesis intensifies a request through affect, invocation, and the explicitly displayed dependence of the petitioner. The related Latin tradition of obsecratio may strengthen the plea by invoking what is sacred or dear to the addressee.
Example
I beg you by everything that sustains this shared memory: do not erase the rejected paths.
Counterexample
The rejected paths are to be retained. The demand performs no urgent act of supplication.
Distinction
Unlike an ordinary request, deesis heightens urgency and dependence affectively or solemnly. Unlike euche, which centres on wish, prayer, or vow, deesis directs an urgent plea to an addressee.
Effect on thought and perception
Makes asymmetry of power and vulnerability audible and seeks to move decision through compassion, attachment, or the sacred.
Resonance
A voice exposes its urgency and seeks in the addressee a point capable of bearing a response.
Cite this entry
Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Deesis“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-RHE-210-003. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-RHE-210-003The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. A verified modification date per entry is not yet available. Include your access date for precise references.