cratylus-第6部分

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principle　of　penetration；　arren　and　aner　have　a　similar　derivation；　gune　is

the　same　as　gone；　thelu　is　derived　apo　tes　theles；　because　the　teat　makes

things　flourish　（tethelenai）；　and　the　word　thallein　itself　implies　increase

of　youth；　which　is　swift　and　sudden　ever　（thein　and　allesthai）。　　I　am

getting　over　the　ground　fast：　　but　much　has　still　to　be　explained。　　There

is　techne；　for　instance。　　This；　by　an　aphaeresis　of　tau　and　an　epenthesis

of　omicron　in　two　places；　may　be　identified　with　echonoe；　and　signifies

'that　which　has　mind。'



'A　very　poor　etymology。'　　Yes；　but　you　must　remember　that　all　language　is

in　process　of　change；　letters　are　taken　in　and　put　out　for　the　sake　of

euphony；　and　time　is　also　a　great　alterer　of　words。　　For　example；　what

business　has　the　letter　rho　in　the　word　katoptron；　or　the　letter　sigma　in

the　word　sphigx？　　The　additions　are　often　such　that　it　is　impossible　to

make　out　the　original　word；　and　yet；　if　you　may　put　in　and　pull　out；　as　you

like；　any　name　is　equally　good　for　any　object。　　The　fact　is；　that　great

dictators　of　literature　like　yourself　should　observe　the　rules　of

moderation。　　'I　will　do　my　best。'　　But　do　not　be　too　much　of　a　precisian；

or　you　will　paralyze　me。　　If　you　will　let　me　add　mechane；　apo　tou　mekous；

which　means　polu；　and　anein；　I　shall　be　at　the　summit　of　my　powers；　from

which　elevation　I　will　examine　the　two　words　kakia　and　arete。　　The　first　is

easily　explained　in　accordance　with　what　has　preceded；　for　all　things　being

in　a　flux；　kakia　is　to　kakos　ion。　　This　derivation　is　illustrated　by　the

word　deilia；　which　ought　to　have　come　after　andreia；　and　may　be　regarded　as

o　lian　desmos　tes　psuches；　just　as　aporia　signifies　an　impediment　to　motion

（from　alpha　not；　and　poreuesthai　to　go）；　and　arete　is　euporia；　which　is　the

opposite　of　thisthe　everflowing　（aei　reousa　or　aeireite）；　or　the

eligible；　quasi　airete。　　You　will　think　that　I　am　inventing；　but　I　say　that

if　kakia　is　right；　then　arete　is　also　right。　　But　what　is　kakon？　　That　is　a

very　obscure　word；　to　which　I　can　only　apply　my　old　notion　and　declare　that

kakon　is　a　foreign　word。　　Next；　let　us　proceed　to　kalon；　aischron。　　The

latter　is　doubtless　contracted　from　aeischoroun；　quasi　aei　ischon　roun。　

The　inventor　of　words　being　a　patron　of　the　flux；　was　a　great　enemy　to

stagnation。　　Kalon　is　to　kaloun　ta　pragmatathis　is　mind　（nous　or

dianoia）；　which　is　also　the　principle　of　beauty；　and　which　doing　the　works

of　beauty；　is　therefore　rightly　called　the　beautiful。　　The　meaning　of

sumpheron　is　explained　by　previous　examples；like　episteme；　signifying

that　the　soul　moves　in　harmony　with　the　world　（sumphora；　sumpheronta）。　

Kerdos　is　to　pasi　kerannumenonthat　which　mingles　with　all　things：　

lusiteloun　is　equivalent　to　to　tes　phoras　luon　to　telos；　and　is　not　to　be

taken　in　the　vulgar　sense　of　gainful；　but　rather　in　that　of　swift；　being

the　principle　which　makes　motion　immortal　and　unceasing；　ophelimon　is　apo

tou　ophelleinthat　which　gives　increase：　　this　word；　which　is　Homeric；　is

of　foreign　origin。　　Blaberon　is　to　blamton　or　boulomenon　aptein　tou　rou

that　which　injures　or　seeks　to　bind　the　stream。　　The　proper　word　would　be

boulapteroun；　but　this　is　too　much　of　a　mouthfullike　a　prelude　on　the

flute　in　honour　of　Athene。　　The　word　zemiodes　is　difficult；　great　changes；

as　I　was　saying；　have　been　made　in　words；　and　even　a　small　change　will

alter　their　meaning　very　much。　　The　word　deon　is　one　of　these　disguised

words。　　You　know　that　according　to　the　old　pronunciation；　which　is

especially　affected　by　the　women；　who　are　great　conservatives；　iota　and

delta　were　used　where　we　should　now　use　eta　and　zeta：　　for　example；　what　we

now　call　emera　was　formerly　called　imera；　and　this　shows　the　meaning　of　the

word　to　have　been　'the　desired　one　coming　after　night；'　and　not；　as　is

often　supposed；　'that　which　makes　things　gentle'　（emera）。　　So　again；　zugon

is　duogon；　quasi　desis　duein　eis　agogen（the　binding　of　two　together　for

the　purpose　of　drawing。　　Deon；　as　ordinarily　written；　has　an　evil　sense；

signifying　the　chain　（desmos）　or　hindrance　of　motion；　but　in　its　ancient

form　dion　is　expressive　of　good；　quasi　diion；　that　which　penetrates　or　goes

through　all。　　Zemiodes　is　really　demiodes；　and　means　that　which　binds

motion　（dounti　to　ion）：　　edone　is　e　pros　ten　onrsin　teinousa　praxisthe

delta　is　an　insertion：　　lupe　is　derived　apo　tes　dialuseos　tou　somatos：　ania

is　from　alpha　and　ienai；　to　go：　　algedon　is　a　foreign　word；　and　is　so

called　apo　tou　algeinou：　　odune　is　apo　tes　enduseos　tes　lupes：　　achthedon

is　in　its　very　sound　a　burden：　　chapa　expresses　the　flow　of　soul：　　terpsis

is　apo　tou　terpnou；　and　terpnon　is　properly　erpnon；　because　the　sensation

of　pleasure　is　likened　to　a　breath　（pnoe）　which　creeps　（erpei）　through　the

soul：　　euphrosune　is　named　from　pheresthai；　because　the　soul　moves　in

harmony　with　nature：　　epithumia　is　e　epi　ton　thumon　iousa　dunamis：　　thumos

is　apo　tes　thuseos　tes　psuches：　　imerosoti　eimenos　pei　e　psuche：　　pothos；

the　desire　which　is　in　another　place；　allothi　pou：　　eros　was　anciently

esros；　and　so　called　because　it　flows　into　（esrei）　the　soul　from　without：　

doxa　is　e　dioxis　tou　eidenai；　or　expresses　the　shooting　from　a　bow　（toxon）。　

The　latter　etymology　is　confirmed　by　the　words　boulesthai；　boule；　aboulia；

which　all　have　to　do　with　shooting　（bole）：　　and　similarly　oiesis　is　nothing

but　the　movement　（oisis）　of　the　soul　towards　essence。　　Ekousion　is　to

eikonthe　yieldinganagke　is　e　an　agke　iousa；　the　passage　through　ravines

which　impede　motion：　　aletheia　is　theia　ale；　divine　motion。　　Pseudos　is　the

opposite　of　this；　implying　the　principle　of　constraint　and　forced　repose；

which　is　expressed　under　the　figure　of　sleep；　to　eudon；　the　psi　is　an

addition。　　Onoma；　a　name；　affirms　the　real　existence　of　that　which　is

sought　afteron　ou　masma　estin。　　On　and　ousia　are　only　ion　with　an　iota

broken　off；　and　ouk　on　is　ouk　ion。　　'And　what　are　ion；　reon；　doun？'　　One

way　of　explaining　them　has　been　already　suggestedthey　may　be　of　foreign

origin；　and　possibly　this　is　the　true　answer。　　But　mere　antiquity　may　often

prevent　our　recognizing　words；　after　all　the　complications　which　they　have

undergone；　and　we　must　remember　that　however　far　we　carry　back　our　analysis

some　ultimate　elements　or　roots　will　remain　which　can　be　no　further

analyzed。　　For　example；　the　word　agathos　was　supposed　by　us　to　be　a

compound　of　agastos　and　thoos；　and　probably　thoos　may　be　further

resolvable。　　But　if　we　take　a　word　of　which　no　further　resolution　seems

attainable；　we　may　fairly　conclude　that　we　have　reached　one　of　these

original　elements；　and　the　truth　of　such　a　word　must　be　tested　by　some　new

method。　　Will　you　help　me　in　the　search？



All　names；　whether　primary　or　secondary；　are　intended　to　show　the　nature　of

things；　and　the　secondary；　as　I　conceive；　derive　their　significance　from

the　primary。　　But　then；　how　do　the　primary　names　indicate　anything？　　And

let　me　ask　another　question；If　we　had　no　faculty　of　speech；　how　should　we

communicate　with　one　another？　　Should　we　not　use　signs；　like　the　deaf　and

dumb？　　The　elevation　of　our　hands　would　mean　lightnessheaviness　would　be

expressed　by　letting　them　drop。　　The　running　of　any　animal　would　be

described　by　a　similar　movement　of　our　own　frames。　　The　body　can　only

express　anything　by　imitation；　and　the　tongue　or　mouth　can　imitate　as　well

as　the　rest　of　the　body。　　But　this　imitation　of　the　tongue　or　voice　is　not

yet　a　name；　because　people　may　imitate　sheep　or　goats　without　naming　them。　

What；　then；　is　a　name？　　In　the　first　place；　a　name　is　not　a　musical；　or；

secondly；　a　pictorial　imitation；　but　an　imitation　of　that　kind　which

expresses　the　nature　of　a　thing；　and　is　the　invention　not　of　a　musician；　or

of　a　painter；　but　of　a　namer。



And　now；　I　think　that　we　may　consider　the　names　about　which　you　were

asking。　　The　way　to　analyze　them　will　be　by　going　back　to　the　letters；　or

primary　elements　of　which　they　are　composed。　　First；　we　separate　the

alphabet　into　classes　of　letters；　distinguishing　the　consonants；　mutes；

vowels；　and　semivowels；　and　when　we　have　learnt　them　singly；　we　shall　learn

to　know　them　in　their　various　combinations　of　two　or　more　letters；　just　as

the　painter　knows　how　to　use　either　a　single　colour；　or　a　combination　of

colours。　　And　like　the　painter；　we　may　apply　letters　to　the　expression　of

objects；　and　form　them　into　syllables；　and　these　again　into　words；　until

the　picture　or　figurethat　is；　languageis　completed。　　Not　that　I　am

literally　speaking　of　ourselves；　but　I　mean　to　say　that　this　was　the　way　in

which　the　ancients　framed　language。　　And　this　leads　me　to　consider　whether

the　primary　as　well　as　the　secondary　elements　are　rightly　given。　　I　may

remark；　as　I　was　saying　about　the　Gods；　that　we　can　only　attain　to

conjecture　of　them。　　But　still　we　insist　that　ours　is　the　true　and　only

method　of　discovery；　otherwise　we　must　have　recourse；　like　the　tragic

poets；　to　a　Deus　ex　machina；　and　say　that　God　gave　the　first　names；　and

therefore　they　are　right；　or　that　the　barbarians　are　older　than　we　are；　and

that　we　learnt　of　them；　or　that　antiquity　has　cast　a　veil　over　the　truth。　

Yet　all　these　are　not　reasons；　they　are　only　ingenious　excuses　for　having

no　reasons。



I　will　freely　impart　to　you　my　own　notions；　though　they　are　somewhat

crude：the　letter　rho　appears　to　me　to　be　the　general　instrument　which　the

legislator　has　employed　to　express　all　motion　or　kinesis。　　（I　ought　to

explain　that　kinesis　is　just　iesis　（going）；　for　the　letter　eta　was　unknown

to　the　ancients；　and　the　root；　kiein；　is　a　foreign　form　of　ienai：　　of

kinesis　or　eisis；　the　opposite　is　stasis）。　　This　use　of　rho　is　evident　in

the　words　tremble；　break；　crush；　crumble；　and　the　like；　the　imposer　of

names　perceived　that　the　tongue　is　most　agitated　in　the　pronunciation　of

this　letter；　just　as　he　used　iota　to　express　the　subtle　power　which

penetrates　through　all　things。　　The　letters　phi；　psi；　sigm