Blackwell Reference Online

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1. We know many terms for short expressions: proverbs, maxims, slogans, hypotheses, thoughts, witticisms, dicta, epigrams, aphorisms, and others. None of these terms has a clear, agreed-upon definition that would differentiate it from the others; and some may be used either broadly to refer to the whole class of short expressions or specifically to refer to a particular type. Thus a maxim may be a type of aphorism or vice versa.2. The broadest term is perhaps “quotation,” since it is obvious that anything can be quoted. Yet this term is ambiguous, since a book of “quotations” includes only certain types of material, and not everything that in principle could be quoted.A quotation (in the sense of a memorable expression that might appear in a book of “quotations”) must be short. One does not search a book of “quotations” for the text of War and Peace.A “quotation” must be quotable. It must be worth remembering apart from its context. It must be understandable in a few words and so is expected to be compressed and lapidary. Usually, it must be possible for someone to know it, or almost know it, by heart.3. We may regard aphorisms, maxims, witticisms, and other short forms as particular genres of “quotation,” and “quotation” as the general term for memorable short expressions. In much the same way, we use the terms “novel” and “romance” to distinguish specific types of “literature,” ... log in or subscribe to read full text