aphorism

Yury Lobo known as a satirist, essayist, aphorist, playwright and poet.

Yury Lobo- ein  Schriftsteller, Publizist, Satiriker, Lyriker, Aphoristiker und Dramatiker

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Aphorismus

Ein Aphorismus (von altgriechisch ‚genau bestimmen, abgrenzen‘) ist ein selbstaendiger einzelner Gedanke, ein Urteil oder eine Lebensweisheit. Er kann aus nur einem Satz oder wenigen Saetzen bestehen. Oft formuliert er eine besondere Einsicht rhetorisch als allgemeinen Sinnspruch (Sentenz, Maxime, Aper;u, Bonmot). Dagegen gelten Auszuege aus anderen Texten, wie gefluegelte Worte oder pointierte Zitate, literaturwissenschaftlich nicht als Aphorismen. Ein Verfasser von Aphorismen wird als Aphoristiker bezeichnet.

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aphorism(n.)
1520s, "concise statement of a principle" (especially in reference to the "Aphorisms of Hippocrates"), from French aphorisme (corrected from Old French aufforisme, 14c.), from Late Latin aphorismus, from Greek aphorismos "definition; short, pithy sentence," from aphorizein "to mark off, divide," from apo "from" (see apo-) + horizein "to bound" (see horizon).

The general sense of "short, pithy statement containing a truth of general import" (e.g. "life is short, and art is long") is from 1580s in English. Distinguished from an axiom, which is a statement of self-evident truth; an epigram is like an aphorism, but lacking in general import. Maxim and saying can be used as synonyms for aphorism, but maxims tend to be more practical than aphorisms, and sayings tend to be more commonplace and have an author's name attached.

[F]or aphorisms, except they should be ridiculous, cannot be made but of the pith and heart of sciences ; for discourse of illustration is cut off ; recitals of examples are cut off ; discourse of connexion and order is cut off ; descriptions of practice are cut off. So there remaineth nothing to fill the aphorisms but some good quantity of observation : and therefore no man can suffice, nor in reason will attempt, to write aphorisms, but he that is sound and grounded. [Francis Bacon, "The Advancement of Learning," 1605]
also from 1520s

Entries linking to aphorism:

axiom(n.)
"statement of self-evident truth," late 15c., from French axiome, from Latin axioma, from Greek axioma "authority," literally "that which is thought worthy or fit," from axioun "to think worthy," from axios "worthy, worth, of like value, weighing as much" (from PIE adjective *ag-ty-o- "weighty," from root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

Axioms in philosophy are not axioms until they are proved upon our pulses. [Keats, letter, May 3, 1818]

epigram(n.)
also epigramme, "short poem or verse which has only one subject and finishes by a witty or ingenious turn of thought," mid-15c., from Old French epigramme, from Latin epigramma "an inscription," from Greek epigramma "inscription (especially in verse) on a tomb, public monument, etc.; a written estimate," from epigraphein "to write on, inscribe" (see epigraph). "The term was afterward extended to any little piece of verse expressing with precision a delicate or ingenious thought" [Century Dictionary]. Related: Epigrammatist.


Trends of aphorism

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.
More to explore
horizon
late 14c., orisoun, from Old French orizon (14c., Modern French horizon), earlier orizonte (13c.), from Latin horizontem (nominative horizon), from Greek horizon (kyklos) "bounding (circle)," from horizein "bound, limit, divide, separate," from horos "boundary, landmark, marking

maxim
early 15c., maxime, "an axiom, statement of a self-evident truth," from Old French maxime, from Late Latin maxima, shortened from phrases such as maxima propositio (Boethius), maxima sententarium "axiom," literally "greatest or chief premise, greatest among propositions" (one whi

saying
"utterance, recitation, action of the verb 'say,' " c. 1300, verbal noun from say (v.); meaning "something that has been said" (usually by someone thought important) is from c. 1300; sense of "a proverbial expression, an adage" is attested from mid-15c. Phrase it goes without say
unscramble

Morgan is credited with the aphorism that the recent trust decisions are like an order to a cook to "unscramble" the eggs...

Morgan is credited with the aphorism that the recent trust decisions are like an order to a cook to "unscramble" the eggs


That's an excellent example of how a simple metaphor can convey a complex idea. The phrase, "You can't unscramble eggs," is indeed attributed to J.P. Morgan, the American financier and banker. He is said to have used this aphorism around 1905 to argue against the dissolution of trusts under antitrust laws.

Morgan's point was that once large corporations or trusts were formed and integrated, their components—the various businesses, assets, and operations—became so intertwined that it was impossible to separate them back into their original, independent entities. Trying to do so, he argued, would be a destructive and futile effort, like trying to reverse the process of scrambling an egg. This metaphor perfectly captured the difficulty and impracticality of breaking up these massive, consolidated entities.

How a single sentence made JP Morgan the most powerful man in America

This video discusses J.P. Morgan's immense influence and legacy, which is relevant to his famous aphorism about the impracticality of "unscrambling" trusts.


J.P. Morgan wird der Aphorismus zugeschrieben, dass die j;ngsten Entscheidungen zur Zerschlagung von Trusts wie die Anweisung an einen Koch seien, die R;hreier „wieder zu entschl;sseln“ (zu entwirren).

Wuerde das verb separieren besser passen?


Ja, "separieren" wuerde hier gut passen.

"J.P. Morgan wird der Aphorismus zugeschrieben, dass die juengsten Entscheidungen zur Zerschlagung von Trusts wie die Anweisung an einen Koch seien, die Ruehreier wieder zu separieren."

Es ist eine direktere und treffendere ;bersetzung f;r das Entwirren oder Auseinandernehmen.


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sentence
doctrine, authoritative teaching; an authoritative pronouncement," from Old French sentence "judgment, decision; meaning; aphorism...) and directly from Latin sententia "thought, way of thinking, opinion; judgment, decision," also "a thought expressed; aphorism...

apothegm
"short, pithy, instructive saying," 1550s, from Greek apophthegma "terse, pointed saying," literally "something clearly spoken," from apophthengesthai "to speak one's opinion plainly," from apo "from" (see apo-) + phthengesthai "to utter" (see diphthong). See aphorism for nuances
change
c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
pun
"a Conceit arising from the use of two Words that agree in the Sound, but differ in the Sense" [Addison]; "An expression in which the use of a word in two different applications, or the use of two different words pronounced alike or nearly alike, presents an odd or ludicrous idea
minister
c. 1300, "man consecrated to service in the Christian Church, an ecclesiastic;" also "an agent acting for a superior, one who acts upon the authority of another," from Old French menistre "servant, valet, member of a household staff, administrator, musician, minstrel" (12c.) and
astronomy
c. 1200, "astronomy, astrology, scientific or occult study of heavenly bodies," from Old French astrenomie "astronomy, astrology," from Latin astronomia, from Greek