An anecdote ^{[1] [2]} is "a story with a point", ^[3] such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. ^[4]

Anecdotes may be real or fictional; ^[5] the anecdotal digression is a common feature of literary works ^[6] and even oral anecdotes typically involve subtle exaggeration and dramatic shape designed to entertain the listener. ^[7] An anecdote is always presented as the recounting of a real incident involving actual people and usually in an identifiable place. In the words of Jurgen Hein , they exhibit "a special realism" and "a claimed historical dimension". ^[8]

Etymology and usage [ edit ]

The word anecdote (in Greek : ?ν?κδοτον "unpublished", literally "not given out") comes from Procopius of Caesarea , the biographer of Emperor Justinian I ( r.  527?565 ). Procopius produced c.  550 CE a work entitled ?ν?κδοτα ( Anekdota , variously translated as Unpublished Memoirs or as Secret History ), which consists primarily of a collection of short incidents from the private life of the Byzantine court. Gradually, the term "anecdote" came to be applied ^[9] to any short tale used to emphasize or illustrate whatever point an author wished to make. In the context of Greek, Estonian , Lithuanian , Bulgarian and Russian humor , an anecdote refers to any short humorous story without the need of factual or biographical origins.

As evidence [ edit ]

Anecdotal evidence is an informal account of evidence in the form of an anecdote. The term is often used in contrast to scientific evidence , as evidence that cannot be investigated using the scientific method . The problem with arguing based on anecdotal evidence is that anecdotal evidence is not necessarily typical; only statistical evidence can determine how typical something is. Misuse of anecdotal evidence is an informal fallacy .

When used in advertising or promotion of a product, service, or idea, anecdotal evidence is often called a testimonial . The term is also sometimes used in a legal context to describe certain kinds of testimony. Psychologists have found that people are more likely to remember notable examples than the typical example. ^[10]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• " anecdote " at Wiktionary
• "Anecdote"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 2 (9th ed.). 1878. p. 24.
• "Anecdote"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 2 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 2.