Note 346 — RADICALS.

Phi is also used for any opening or cavity: whence we find the head of a fountain often denominated from it; at least the place, whence the fountain issued forth, or where it lost itself. And as all streams were sacred, and all cavities in the earth looked upon with a religious horror, the Amonians called them Phi-El, Phi-Ainon, Phi-Anes; rendered by the Greeks Phiale, Phænon, Phanes, Phaneas, Paneas. The chief fountain of the river Jordan lost itself underground, and rose again at some miles distance. It sunk at Phiale, and rose again at [346]Paneas. Pliny speaks of a place of this sort at [347]Memphis, called Phiala; and, as he imagines, from its figure: but it was undoubtedly a covert aquæduct, by which some branch of the river was carried. The Nile itself is said to be lost underground, near its fountains; and that place also was called Phiala. [348]Phialam appellari fontem ejus, mergique in cuniculos ipsum amnem. There was also a fountain of this name at [349]Constantinople. Sometimes it occurs without the aspirate, as in Pella, a city of Palestine, named, undoubtedly, from its fountains: for Pliny calls it Pellam aquis [350]divitem.