ABSTRACT
The author, starting from justifying the definition of litotes (affirmative via the negation of its opposite) and its classification (of three types), focuses on the prototype of double negation (DN) to explore its prominent function of establishing identification between the rhetor and audience. Taking classic Chinese maxims as data, this inquiry finds that DN litotes is often mingled remarkably with repetition, in the patterns of anaphora, epistrophe, anadiplosis, symploche, and ploche. The rhythmic repetitive double negations perform the crucial role of identification mechanism, contributing to the ready acceptance and firm retention of the DN-rich Chinese maxims. This investigation expects to broaden the argumentative functions of both litotes and repetition, to promote research into figurative interplay, and to uncover in classic Chinese maxims a unique identification engine.
