Answer: A. a short saying with a message.
Explanation: the denotation of a word is its literal meaning, the definition that we can find in a dictionary, a word can have several denotations (or definitions). An aphorism is a short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth. From the given options, the one that expresses the correct denotation of the word "aphorism" is the corresponding to option C: a short saying with a message.
