Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

 About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) » English as a global language » litotes
Register User    Forum List        Calendar     Active Topics     Search     FAQ
Topic Options
#127349 - 04/13/04 02:59 PM litotes
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Maybe I'm not the only one who keeps forgetting this.
Date: Sat Sep 25 00:01:37 EDT 1999
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--litotes
litotes (LI-tuh-teez, LIT-, li-TOH-teez) noun, plural litotes

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an
affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite, as in This is
no small problem.

[Greek litotes, from litos, plain.]




Top
#127350 - 06/14/04 04:34 PM litotes
wofahulicodoc Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/06/01
Posts: 3786
Loc: Worcester, MA
litotes

...the word I keep looking for and forgetting - an "opposite" of hyperbole, as it were. Which is no great problem, but is a recurring minor aggravation...


Top
#127351 - 06/15/04 05:53 AM Re: litotes
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13654
I can barely remember any of those rhetorical figure terms. I wish I knew a good source for looking them up from meaning. The Forest is good but I never seem to be able to work with their categories or they end up being at odds with other sources.

http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/silva.htm


Top
#127352 - 06/15/04 10:22 AM Re: litotes
tsuwm Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
here's a short list (of 45) of the more useful(?) terms, which has the benefit of being searchable.
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/rhetoric.html


Top
#127353 - 06/15/04 12:11 PM Re: short list
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13654
Wall, that's fine if you know the word and want to know what it means. It's when you know what it means, but don't know the word that's got me bumfuzzled.


Top
#127354 - 06/15/04 01:31 PM Re: short list
tsuwm Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
which is why I mentioned the searchable (i.e., via a page find) aspect, if you use some key words.


Top


Moderator:  Jackie 
Forum Stats
8424 Members
16 Forums
13686 Topics
209771 Posts

Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members
teepee, smoothcriminal86, janbra, junebug, Stephen A
8423 Registered Users
Who's Online
0 registered (), 41 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
LukeJavan8 89
jenny jenny 62
wofahulicodoc 55
endymion6 47
Rhubarb Commando 35
BranShea 34
Buffalo Shrdlu 16
zmjezhd 14
Jackie 13
Faldage 12
May
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Board Rules · Mark all read
Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top

Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 2013 Wordsmith