In rhetoric, litotes is a figure of speech and form of verbal 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. Litotes is a form of understatement, more specifically meiosis, and is always deliberate with the intention of emphasis. However, the interpretation of negation may depend on context, including cultural context. In speech, it 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". Along the same lines, litotes can be used as a euphemism to diminish 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. The use of litotes is common in English, Russian, German, Dutch, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ukrainian, Polish, Mandarin, French, Czech and 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. The word litotes is of Greek origin, meaning "simple," and is derived from the wordlitos meaning "plain, small or meager".
Classical litotes
The first known mention of litotes is in a letter from Cicero in 56 B.C. Cicero uses the word to mean simplicity of life. Over time, however, the meaning and the function of the word changed from 'simple' to the idea of understatement that involves double negatives, a way to state things simply. Litotes is also found in the New Testament to assert an affirmative by negating the opposite. In Acts 12:18, for instance, Luke says there was “no small commotion” among the soldiers over Peter’s absence from prison. Old Norse had several types of litotes. These points are denied negatives, denied positives, creating litotes without negating anything, and creating litotes using a negative adjective.
Litotes can be used to establish ethos, or credibility, by expressing modesty or downplaying one's accomplishments to gain the audience's favor. In the book Rhetorica ad Herennium litotes is addressed as a member of The Figures of Thought known as deminutio, or understatement. It is listed in conjunction with antenantiosis and meiosis, two other forms of rhetorical deminutio. For example, a very accomplished artist might say "I'm not a bad painter," and by refraining from bragging but still acknowledging his skill, the artist is seen as talented, modest, and credible.
In Classical Greek, instances of litotes can be found as far back as Homer. In Book 24 of the Iliad, Zeus describes Achilles as follows: "οὔτε γάρ ἔστ᾽ ἄφρων οὔτ᾽ ἄσκοπος …", "he is neither unthinking, nor unseeing," meaning that he is both wise and prudent.
French
In French, "" is used similarly to the English, while "il n'est pas antipathique" is another example, actually meaning "il est très sympathique", though you don't want to admit it. Another typical example is "Ce n'est pas bête!", generally said to admit a clever suggestion without showing oneself as too enthusiastic. One of the most famous litotes of French literature is in Pierre Corneille's Le Cid. The heroine, Chimène, says to her lover Rodrigue, who just killed her father: "Va, je ne te hais point", meaning "I love you".
In Chinese, the phrase "不错" is often used to present something as very good or correct. In this way, it is distinct in meaning from the English "not bad" or the general use of the French "pas mal". Also, the phrase "不简单" is used to refer to an impressive feat.
Dutch
Similarly, in Dutch, the phrase "niet slecht" is often used to present something as very good or correct, as is German "nicht schlecht".
In Italian, meno male is similar to the English expression, "So much the better" – used to comment that a situation is more desirable than its negative.
In Latin, an example of litotes can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses: "non semel", meaning "on more than one occasion". Some common words are derived from litotes: "nonnulli" from "non nulli" is understood to mean "several", while "nonnumquam" from "non numquam" is used for "sometimes".
In Spanish, it is usual to say "No es nada tonto", as a form of compliment. Another common Spanish phrase is "menos mal", meaning literally "less bad," but used in the same way as the English phrases "Thank goodness!" or "It's just as well".
In Swedish, it is quite common to use litotes. For example, when one chances to meet someone after a long time it is usual to say: "Det var inte igår".
