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An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός ''aphorismos'', "delimitation") is a terse saying, expressing a general truth, principle, or astute observation, and spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.〔(Definition of ''aphorism'' ) from the Online Etymology Dictionary〕 Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition". The term was first used in the ''Aphorisms'' of Hippocrates. The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is: The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation, cleverly and pithily written. A well-known example is ==Literature== Aphoristic collections, sometimes known as wisdom literature, have a prominent place in the canons of several ancient societies, such as the Sutra literature of India, the Biblical Ecclesiastes, Islamic Hadith, The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, Hesiod's ''Works and Days'', the Delphic maxims, and Epictetus' Handbook. Aphoristic collections also make up an important part of the work of some modern authors. A 1559 oil–on–oak-panel painting, ''Netherlandish Proverbs'' (also called ''The Blue Cloak'' or ''The Topsy Turvy World'') by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, artfully depicts a land populated with literal renditions of Flemish aphorisms (proverbs) of the day. The aphoristic genre developed together with literacy, and after the invention of printing, aphorisms were collected and published in book form. The first noted published collection of aphorisms is ''Adagia'' by Erasmus of Rotterdam. Other important early aphorists were Baltasar Gracián, François de La Rochefoucauld and Blaise Pascal. Two influential collections of aphorisms published in the twentieth century were ''The Uncombed Thoughts'' by Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (in Polish), and ''Itch of Wisdom'' by Mikhail Turovsky (in Russian and English). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「aphorism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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