The article discusses aphorisms and other small text forms in literary and folklore material in Belarusian, Russian, Polish and English. The place of aphorisms in the general classifications of small text forms, the relationship of aphorisms and literary sayings, proverbs, one-phrase texts, clichéd phrases, national varieties of literary and folklore works of small genres is determined. Aphorisms are contrasted with all other small text forms as a special type of phrasal unit on the basis of two of their obligatory features – the generalization of meaning and discursive autonomy.