ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-NAV-G01-053 · ATLAS 259

Apophthegm

An apophthegm is a concise, pointed saying, often associated with a memorable speaker or occasion.

Part of the subject path Rhetoric and Style

Why is this entry in the Atlas?

E · Selected case R3 · Justified illustrative case

Apophthegm supplies a case linking a concise pointed saying with a remembered person and situation. An arbitrary short sentence does not automatically possess this transmitted attribution.

Colours and admission grounds

The rectangular label identifies the entry function: F – linguistic figure or procedure; A – analytical concept; G – foundational concept; E – selected concrete case. The rounded badge indicates the admission ground: R1 – distinctive contribution; R2 – necessary foundation; R3 – justified illustrative case. This editorial rationale explains the current selection rather than claiming an undocumented original selection history.

Explanation

An apophthegm is a concise, pointed saying, often associated with a memorable speaker or occasion. Traditions use the name differently: some foreground the saying, others the brief scene that carries it. The present account centres on verbal compression joined to attributed authority. Attribution itself needs investigation; a compelling anecdote is not automatically authentic history. The relationship to chreia is explained without treating the two genre terms as universally interchangeable.

Movement of thought

1. Isolate the pointed saying. 2. Identify its attributed speaker and occasion. 3. Examine the relation between situation and verbal turn. 4. Separate transmission from historical authenticity. 5. Describe how the compact statement reaches beyond its occasion.

Scientific use case

Textual scholarship and genre studies can investigate variants, attributions, collection contexts and changes through transmission.

Example

Invented example: Asked why she keeps her notes, an elderly teacher says, “Even a mistake deserves legible handwriting.” The situation gives the saying its distinctive shape.

Counterexample

An anonymous maxim without a personal or situational frame may be a sententia; not every tradition would thereby classify it as an apophthegm.

Distinction

Distinguish proverb, aphorism, sententia and chreia; boundaries depend on tradition. The original example is not a historical quotation.

Effect on thought and perception

A brief scene makes a thought memorable and may lend it borrowed authority.

Resonance

A voice seems to remain audible beyond its occasion even when its historical origin is uncertain.

Provenance

Parallel source review reconciled 2026-10-07; human specialist review not claimed.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Apophthegm“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-NAV-G01-053. ATLAS 259, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G01-053

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G01-053

The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. Editorial reading state: 2026-10-15. Include your access date for precise references.