cratylus-第4部分

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make　or　repair　the　shuttle；　and　to　what　will　he　look？　　Will　he　not　look　at

the　ideal　which　he　has　in　his　mind？　　And　as　the　different　kinds　of　work

differ；　so　ought　the　instruments　which　make　them　to　differ。　　The　several

kinds　of　shuttles　ought　to　answer　in　material　and　form　to　the　several　kinds

of　webs。　　And　the　legislator　ought　to　know　the　different　materials　and

forms　of　which　names　are　made　in　Hellas　and　other　countries。　　But　who　is　to

be　the　judge　of　the　proper　form？　　The　judge　of　shuttles　is　the　weaver　who

uses　them；　the　judge　of　lyres　is　the　player　of　the　lyre；　the　judge　of　ships

is　the　pilot。　　And　will　not　the　judge　who　is　able　to　direct　the　legislator

in　his　work　of　naming；　be　he　who　knows　how　to　use　the　nameshe　who　can　ask

and　answer　questionsin　short；　the　dialectician？　　The　pilot　directs　the

carpenter　how　to　make　the　rudder；　and　the　dialectician　directs　the

legislator　how　he　is　to　impose　names；　for　to　express　the　ideal　forms　of

things　in　syllables　and　letters　is　not　the　easy　task；　Hermogenes；　which　you

imagine。



'I　should　be　more　readily　persuaded；　if　you　would　show　me　this　natural

correctness　of　names。'



Indeed　I　cannot；　but　I　see　that　you　have　advanced；　for　you　now　admit　that

there　is　a　correctness　of　names；　and　that　not　every　one　can　give　a　name。　

But　what　is　the　nature　of　this　correctness　or　truth；　you　must　learn　from

the　Sophists；　of　whom　your　brother　Callias　has　bought　his　reputation　for

wisdom　rather　dearly；　and　since　they　require　to　be　paid；　you；　having　no

money；　had　better　learn　from　him　at　second…hand。　　'Well；　but　I　have　just

given　up　Protagoras；　and　I　should　be　inconsistent　in　going　to　learn　of

him。'　　Then　if　you　reject　him　you　may　learn　of　the　poets；　and　in　particular

of　Homer；　who　distinguishes　the　names　given　by　Gods　and　men　to　the　same

things；　as　in　the　verse　about　the　river　God　who　fought　with　Hephaestus；

'whom　the　Gods　call　Xanthus；　and　men　call　Scamander；'　or　in　the　lines　in

which　he　mentions　the　bird　which　the　Gods　call　'Chalcis；'　and　men

'Cymindis；'　or　the　hill　which　men　call　'Batieia；'　and　the　Gods　'Myrinna's

Tomb。'　　Here　is　an　important　lesson；　for　the　Gods　must　of　course　be　right

in　their　use　of　names。　　And　this　is　not　the　only　truth　about　philology

which　may　be　learnt　from　Homer。　　Does　he　not　say　that　Hector's　son　had　two

names



'Hector　called　him　Scamandrius；　but　the　others　Astyanax'？



Now；　if　the　men　called　him　Astyanax；　is　it　not　probable　that　the　other　name

was　conferred　by　the　women？　　And　which　are　more　likely　to　be　rightthe

wiser　or　the　less　wise；　the　men　or　the　women？　　Homer　evidently　agreed　with

the　men：　　and　of　the　name　given　by　them　he　offers　an　explanation；the　boy

was　called　Astyanax　（'king　of　the　city'）；　because　his　father　saved　the

city。　　The　names　Astyanax　and　Hector；　moreover；　are　really　the　same；the

one　means　a　king；　and　the　other　is　'a　holder　or　possessor。'　　For　as　the

lion's　whelp　may　be　called　a　lion；　or　the　horse's　foal　a　foal；　so　the　son

of　a　king　may　be　called　a　king。　　But　if　the　horse　had　produced　a　calf；　then

that　would　be　called　a　calf。　　Whether　the　syllables　of　a　name　are　the　same

or　not　makes　no　difference；　provided　the　meaning　is　retained。　　For　example；

the　names　of　letters；　whether　vowels　or　consonants；　do　not　correspond　to

their　sounds；　with　the　exception　of　epsilon；　upsilon；　omicron；　omega。　　The

name　Beta　has　three　letters　added　to　the　soundand　yet　this　does　not　alter

the　sense　of　the　word；　or　prevent　the　whole　name　having　the　value　which　the

legislator　intended。　　And　the　same　may　be　said　of　a　king　and　the　son　of　a

king；　who　like　other　animals　resemble　each　other　in　the　course　of　nature；

the　words　by　which　they　are　signified　may　be　disguised；　and　yet　amid

differences　of　sound　the　etymologist　may　recognise　the　same　notion；　just　as

the　physician　recognises　the　power　of　the　same　drugs　under　different

disguises　of　colour　and　smell。　　Hector　and　Astyanax　have　only　one　letter

alike；　but　they　have　the　same　meaning；　and　Agis　（leader）　is　altogether

different　in　sound　from　Polemarchus　（chief　in　war）；　or　Eupolemus　（good

warrior）；　but　the　two　words　present　the　same　idea　of　leader　or　general；

like　the　words　Iatrocles　and　Acesimbrotus；　which　equally　denote　a

physician。　　The　son　succeeds　the　father　as　the　foal　succeeds　the　horse；　but

when；　out　of　the　course　of　nature；　a　prodigy　occurs；　and　the　offspring　no

longer　resembles　the　parent；　then　the　names　no　longer　agree。　　This　may　be

illustrated　by　the　case　of　Agamemnon　and　his　son　Orestes；　of　whom　the

former　has　a　name　significant　of　his　patience　at　the　siege　of　Troy；　while

the　name　of　the　latter　indicates　his　savage；　man…of…the…mountain　nature。　

Atreus　again；　for　his　murder　of　Chrysippus；　and　his　cruelty　to　Thyestes；　is

rightly　named　Atreus；　which；　to　the　eye　of　the　etymologist；　is　ateros

（destructive）；　ateires　（stubborn）；　atreotos　（fearless）；　and　Pelops　is　o　ta

pelas　oron　（he　who　sees　what　is　near　only）；　because　in　his　eagerness　to　win

Hippodamia；　he　was　unconscious　of　the　remoter　consequences　which　the　murder

of　Myrtilus　would　entail　upon　his　race。　　The　name　Tantalus；　if　slightly

changed；　offers　two　etymologies；　either　apo　tes　tou　lithou　talanteias；　or

apo　tou　talantaton　einai；　signifying　at　once　the　hanging　of　the　stone　over

his　head　in　the　world　below；　and　the　misery　which　he　brought　upon　his

country。　　And　the　name　of　his　father；　Zeus；　Dios；　Zenos；　has　an　excellent

meaning；　though　hard　to　be　understood；　because　really　a　sentence　which　is

divided　into　two　parts　（Zeus；　Dios）。　　For　he；　being　the　lord　and　king　of

all；　is　the　author　of　our　being；　and　in　him　all　live：　　this　is　implied　in

the　double　form；　Dios；　Zenos；　which　being　put　together　and　interpreted　is

di　on　ze　panta。　　There　may；　at　first　sight；　appear　to　be　some　irreverence

in　calling　him　the　son　of　Cronos；　who　is　a　proverb　for　stupidity；　but　the

meaning　is　that　Zeus　himself　is　the　son　of　a　mighty　intellect；　Kronos；

quasi　koros；　not　in　the　sense　of　a　youth；　but　quasi　to　katharon　kai

akeraton　tou　nouthe　pure　and　garnished　mind；　which　in　turn　is　begotten　of

Uranus；　who　is　so　called　apo　tou　oran　ta　ano；　from　looking　upwards；　which；

as　philosophers　say；　is　the　way　to　have　a　pure　mind。　　The　earlier　portion

of　Hesiod's　genealogy　has　escaped　my　memory；　or　I　would　try　more

conclusions　of　the　same　sort。　　'You　talk　like　an　oracle。'　　I　caught　the

infection　from　Euthyphro；　who　gave　me　a　long　lecture　which　began　at　dawn；

and　has　not　only　entered　into　my　ears；　but　filled　my　soul；　and　my　intention

is　to　yield　to　the　inspiration　to…day；　and　to…morrow　I　will　be　exorcised　by

some　priest　or　sophist。　　'Go　on；　I　am　anxious　to　hear　the　rest。'　　Now　that

we　have　a　general　notion；　how　shall　we　proceed？　　What　names　will　afford　the

most　crucial　test　of　natural　fitness？　　Those　of　heroes　and　ordinary　men　are

often　deceptive；　because　they　are　patronymics　or　expressions　of　a　wish；　let

us　try　gods　and　demi…gods。　　Gods　are　so　called；　apo　tou　thein；　from　the

verb　'to　run；'　because　the　sun；　moon；　and　stars　run　about　the　heaven；　and

they　being　the　original　gods　of　the　Hellenes；　as　they　still　are　of　the

Barbarians；　their　name　is　given　to　all　Gods。　　The　demons　are　the　golden

race　of　Hesiod；　and　by　golden　he　means　not　literally　golden；　but　good；　and

they　are　called　demons；　quasi　daemones；　which　in　old　Attic　was　used　for

daimonesgood　men　are　well　said　to　become　daimones　when　they　die；　because

they　are　knowing。　　Eros　（with　an　epsilon）　is　the　same　word　as　eros　（with　an

eta）：　　'the　sons　of　God　saw　the　daughters　of　men　that　they　were　fair；'　or

perhaps　they　were　a　species　of　sophists　or　rhetoricians；　and　so　called　apo

tou　erotan；　or　eirein；　from　their　habit　of　spinning　questions；　for　eirein

is　equivalent　to　legein。　　I　get　all　this　from　Euthyphro；　and　now　a　new　and

ingenious　idea　comes　into　my　mind；　and；　if　I　am　not　careful；　I　shall　be

wiser　than　I　ought　to　be　by　to…morrow's　dawn。　　My　idea　is；　that　we　may　put

in　and　pull　out　letters　at　pleasure　and　alter　the　accents　（as；　for　example；

Dii　philos　may　be　turned　into　Diphilos）；　and　we　may　make　words　into

sentences　and　sentences　into　words。　　The　name　anthrotos　is　a　case　in　point；

for　a　letter　has　been　omitted　and　the　accent　changed；　the　original　meaning

being　o　anathron　a　opopenhe　who　looks　up　at　what　he　sees。　　Psuche　may　be

thought　to　be　the　reviving；　or　refreshing；　or　animating　principlee

anapsuchousa　to　soma；　but　I　am　afraid　that　Euthyphro　and　his　disciples　will

scorn　this　derivation；　and　I　must　find　another：　　shall　we　identify　the　soul

with　the　'ordering　mind'　of　Anaxagoras；　and　say　that　psuche；　quasi　phuseche

=　e　phusin　echei　or　ochei？this　might　easily　be　refined　into　psyche。　

'That　is　a　more　artistic　etymology。'



After　psuche　follows　soma；　this；　by　a　slight　permutation；　may　be　either　=

（1）　the　'grave'　of　the　soul；　or　（2）　may　mean　'that　by　which　the　soul

signifies　（semainei）　her　wishes。'　　But　more　probably；　the　word　is　Orphic；

and　simply　denotes　that　the　body　is　the　place　of　ward　in　which　the　soul

suffers　the　penalty　of　sin；en　o　sozetai。　　'I　should　like　to　hear　some

more　explanations　of　the　names　of　the　Gods；　like　that　excellent　one　of

Zeus。'　　The　truest　names　of　the　Gods　are　those　which　they　give　themselves；

but　these　are　unknown　to　us。　　Less　true　are　those　by　which　we　propitiate

them；　as　men　say　in　prayers；　'May　he　graciously　receive　any　name　by　which　I

call　him。'　　And　to　avoid　offence；　I　should　like　to　let　them　know　beforehand

that　we　are　not　presuming　to　enquire　about　them；　but　only　about　the　names

which　they　usually　bear。　　Let　us　begin　with　Hestia。　　What　did　he　mean　who

gave　the　name　Hestia？　　'That　is　a　very　difficult　question。'　　O；　my　dear

Hermogenes；　I　believe　that　there　was　a　power　of　philosophy　and　talk　among

the　first　inventors　of　names；　both　in　our　own　and　in　other　languages；　for

even　in　foreign　words　a　principle　is　discernible。　　Hestia　is　the　same　with

esia；　which　is　an　old　form　of　ousia；　and　means　the　first　principle　of

things：　　this　agrees　with　the