Kotoba no Aya (言葉の綾 – Figure of Speech)
Kotoba no Aya
言葉の綾
Have you ever been in a situation where you used a complex expression that could be interpreted in several different ways and caused misunderstanding?
複数の解釈ができる表現を使ってしまい、誤解を与えそうになってしまった経験はありますか？
In such a situation, especially when the expression is misunderstood in a bad way, you can use the term kotoba no aya (言葉の綾) to explain the situation.
そのようなとき、特に悪い意味で解釈される可能性があるとき、釈明の言葉として「言葉の綾」を使うことができます。
Since kotoba (言葉) means “words,” and aya (綾) means “various shapes and patterns,” the literal meaning of kotoba no aya is “words in various shapes and patterns.”
「言葉」は “words”、「綾」は “various shapes and patterns”（さまざまな形や模様） を意味するので、「言葉の綾」の文字どおりの意味は “words in various shapes and patterns” となります。
Originally, this term mainly meant “skillful wording for a matter that is difficult to express.” However, it is now usually used to mean “a complex expression that could be interpreted in several different ways.”
もともとは「表現しにくい事柄の巧みな言い回し」を意味する言葉でしたが、現在では「複数の解釈ができる複雑な表現」の意味で使われることが多いです。
