In a story, an allotopy is when two basic meaning traits (semes) contradict each other; that is, when they trace two incompatible interpretations.
It was conceived as being the opposite of an isotopy, which is the homogeneity resulting from repetition of the same seme.
In the 1970, the Belgian semioticians known under the name Groupe μ, introduced the concept of Allotopy.
[5] Groupe μ discussed the relation of allotopy to jokes and humor.
[citation needed] Salvatore Attardo, despite not using the term allotopy, formulated a theory of humor based on the idea of the "incompatible interpretations", called the isotopy-disjunction model.