Etymologically
Log in

aphorismus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 23 October 2026 at 15:05. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

aphorismus m (genitive aphorismī); second declension[1] Medieval scribes also wrote aforismus, afforismus, amphorismus and anforismus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀφορισμός (aphorismós, “definition; short pithy sentence”),[4][5][6] a noun from ἀφορίζω (aphorízō, “to mark off, divide”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) and ὁρίζω (horízō, “to bound”).[6][3] Niermeyer ties its use to the title of the work of Hippocrates.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jerome (writing c. 383–420 AD) is the earliest writer in Conte's citations: “Hippocrates teaches in his Aphorisms”.[8][4][3] The TLL notes that the word seems to occur only in the plural, for that Hippocratic book.[4]

Semantic evolution

Caelius Aurelianus refers to his explanatory book on the aphorisms of Hippocrates,[4][5] and Isidore of Seville, among the medical books, defines an aphorism as a brief saying that sets out the whole sense of a matter.[4][5]

In Medieval Latin it was used more widely for a definition or pithy saying,[2][9] and especially in the titles of medical books, those of Hippocrates and of other physicians.[2][9] Through French it gave English aphorism in the 1520s.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 383–420 AD – Jerome cites Hippocrates' Aphorisms.[8][4][3]
  • 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus writes about the aphorisms of Hippocrates.[4][5][3]
  • c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville defines the aphorism.[4][3]
  • 890–897 – Abbo of Saint-Germain uses it of brief sayings in his poem.[2][3]
  • 1520s – Borrowed into English, through French, as aphorism.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An aphorism, a short maxim stating a whole principle; in Late Latin chiefly the Aphorisms of Hippocrates.[4][5][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A definition or pithy saying.[2][7][9]
  3. (Medieval Latin) In titles, a book of medical aphorisms.[2][9]

Usage notes

Köbler records a separate medieval aphorismus “impoverishment” in John of Salisbury, which he connects with aporia.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  9. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press