Editing Litotes (section)

{{Short description|Ironic figure of speech}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
In [[rhetoric]], '''litotes''' ({{IPAc-en|l|aɪ|ˈ|t|oʊ|t|iː|z|,_|ˈ|l|aɪ|t|ə|t|iː|z}}, {{IPAc-en|us|ˈ|l|ɪ|t|ə|t|iː|z}}),<ref name="OED">{{Cite OED | litotes | access-date= 18 December 2021 }}</ref> also known classically as '''antenantiosis''' or '''moderatour''', is a [[figures of speech|figure of speech]] and form of [[irony]] in which [[understatement]] is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive, often incorporating [[double negatives]] for effect.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/litotes |title=''Litotes'' |work=The Free Dictionary |access-date=24 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/double+negative |work=The Free Dictionary |title=''Double negative'' |access-date=24 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=double%20negative |title=WordNet Search |work=WordNet: An Electronic Lexical Database |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=1 July 2012}}</ref> A form of understatement, litotes can be in the form of [[Meiosis (figure of speech)|meiosis]], and is always deliberate with the intention of [[Stress (linguistics)|emphasis]].<ref>{{harvnb|Smyth|1920}} p.680</ref> However, the interpretation of negation may depend on context, including cultural context. In speech, litotes may also depend on intonation and emphasis; for example, the phrase "not bad" can be intonated differently so as to mean either "mediocre" or "excellent".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/litotesterm.htm |title=''litotes (figure of speech)'' |work=About.com |access-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> Along the same lines, litotes can be used (as a form of [[Auxesis (figure of speech)|auxesis]]<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.03.0096:part=Schemates%20Rhetorical:subpart=The%20third%20order:section=Comparatio&highlight=auxesis Perseus: Henry Peachum., ''The Garden of Eloquence (1593) Schemas'', accessed 15 March 2023]</ref>), to [[euphemism|euphemistically]] provide emphasis by diminishing the harshness of an observation; "He isn't the cleanest person I know" could be used as a means of indicating that someone is a messy person.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/litotes |title=''litotes'' |work=Dictionary.com |access-date=31 October 2014}}</ref>

The use of litotes is common in [[English language|English]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[German language|German]], [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[French language|French]], [[Czech language|Czech]] and [[Slovak language|Slovak]], and is also prevalent in a number of other languages and dialects. It is a feature of [[Old English poetry]] and of the [[Icelandic sagas]] and is a means of much stoical restraint.<ref>''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' (1984) [[Micropædia]] VI, p. 266. "Litotes".</ref>

The word litotes is of Greek origin ({{lang|grc|λιτότης}}), meaning 'simplicity', and is derived from the word {{lang|el|λιτός}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|litos}}), meaning 'plain, simple, small or meager'.<ref name="Burton">{{cite web |last=Burton |first=Gideon |title=Silva Rhetoricae |url=http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Figures/L/litotes.htm |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=22 October 2013}}</ref>