Note 233 — ARRIAN ON COURSING.
William Dansey translation
See Xenophon de Venat. c. vii. 5. All the names left us by Xenophon, Arrian, and Columella, are dissyllabical.Columella de Re Rust. L. vii. c. 12. Nominibus autem non longissimis appellandi sunt, quo celeriùs quisque vocatus exaudiat; nec tamen brevioribus, quàm quæ duabus syllabis enuntientur. Oppian names his puppies, while young and tractable, νηπιάχοι:
Cyneg. i. 443.
αὐτὰρ νηπιάχοισιν ἐπ’ οὐνόματα σκυλάκεσσι βαιὰ τίθει, θοὰ πάντα, θοὴν ἵνα βάξιν ἀκούῃ.
By which Gesner supposes the names should be “oxytona.” Natalis Comes agrees with his predecessors:
De Venat. L. i.
ponantur nomina cuique Certa cani, teneatque ad summum syllaba bina: Protinùs ut noscat voces, et verba vocantum.
The indefatigable German naturalist has alphabetically arranged all the classic names of the Greek and Roman kennels that have descended to us. We find in his canine vocabulary, those of Xenophon, Ovid, Columella, and others of ancient days; and some from Blondus (of which Gesner disapproves) of more modern use. Hyginus has a copious list of canine appellatives in his 181st fable, entitled “Diana.” And one of the most chaste poets of the fifteenth century supplies the kennel with
Hercules Stroza.
bona naribus Heuresiïchne, Theragus, Ocypete, Thoissa, Melæna, Cylindus, Chætodesque hirtus setis, domitorque ferarum Theridamas, veloxque Lagois, et ocyor illa Protodomus, longoque legens compendia passu Macrobates, Leuconque rapaci et cum Harpage Theron.