periphrasis

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
periphrasis /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/

▶noun (pl. periphrases /-siːz/)

• 1 the use of indirect and circumlocutory speech or writing.

• 2 Grammar the use of separate words to express a grammatical relationship that is otherwise expressed by inflection, e.g. did go as opposed to went.

– derivatives
periphrastic adjective,
periphrastically adverb.

– origin C16: via L. from Gk, from periphrazein, from peri- ‘around’ + phrazein ‘declare’.