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.
It is sometimes confused with the word, "aphorism," which means "a wise saying."
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 Shakespeare, Richard II Act 3, scene 2, 174-177
See Also