Wise Wednesday Grammar: Figures of Speech (Aphorismus)

Figure of speech.

SCHEMES.

Aphorismus (from the Greek: ἀφορισμός, aphorismós, "a marking off", also "rejection, banishment")

 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 thing being discussed and the general notion or ideal of the subject.

Examples

• "And they call it a mine. A MINE!" The fictional character Gimli when he is in Moria in Lord of The Rings.
• "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 Shakespeare, Richard II Act 3, scene 2, 174-177
• "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." Bill Clinton, August 17, 1998

Written by NativeEnglish

Native English Spain is dedicated to make learning English simple, fun and affordable for Spanish people.