Aphorismus
Encyclopedia
Aphorismus is a figure of speech
that calls into question the meaning of a word ("How can you call yourself a man?"). It often appears in the form of a rhetorical question
and is meant to imply a distinction between the present subject and the general notion or ideal of the subject.
Figure of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
that calls into question the meaning of a word ("How can you call yourself a man?"). It often appears in the form of a rhetorical question
Rhetorical question
A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply. Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to think about what the answer to the question must be. When a speaker states, "How much longer must our people...
and is meant to imply a distinction between the present subject and the general notion or ideal of the subject.
Examples
- "For you have but mistook me all this while. / I live with bread like you, feel want, / Taste grief, need friends: subjected thus, / How can you say to me I am a king?" William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Richard II Act 3, scene 2, 174-177 - "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, August 17, 1998