Note 30 — Chapter XXXI · KRATYLUS.

I cite various specimens of the etymologies given by Plato:—

1. Ἀγαμέμνων — ὁ ἀγαστὸς κατὰ τὴν ἐπιμονήν — in consequence of his patience in remaining (μονὴ) with his army before Troy (p. 395 A).

2. Ἀτρεὺς — κατὰ τὸ ἀτειρές, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἄτρεστον, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἀτηρόν (p. 395 C).

3. Πέλοψ — ὁ τὸ ἐγγὺς (πέλας) μόνον ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ παραχρῆμα (p. 395 D).

4. Τάνταλος — ταλάντατος (p. 395 E).

5. Ζεὺς — Δία — Ζῆνα — δι’ ὃν ζῆν ἀεὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ζῶσιν ὑπάρχει — ut proprie unum debuerit esse vocabulum Διαζῆνα. Stallbaum, ad. p. 396 A. Proklus admired these etymologies (ad Timæum, ii. p. 226, ed. Schneid.).

6. Οἱ θεοὶ — Sun, Moon, Earth, Stars, Uranus — ἅτε αὐτὰ ὁρωντες πάντα ἀεὶ ἰόντα δρόμῳ καὶ θέοντα, ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς φύσεως τῆς τοῦ θεῖν θεοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐπονομάσαι (p. 397 D).

7. Δαίμονες — ὅτι φρόνιμοι καὶ δαήμονες ἦσαν, δαίμονας αὐτοὺς ὠνόμασεν (Hesiod) (p. 398 B).

8. Ἤρως — either from ἔρως, as one sprung from the union of Gods with human females: or from ἐρωτᾷν or εἴρειν, — from oral or rhetorical attributes, as being ῥήτορες καὶ ἐρωτητικοί (p. 398 D).

9. Δίφιλος — Διῒ φίλος (p. 399 B).

10. Ἄνθρωπος — ὁ ἀναθρῶν ἃ ὄπωπεν (p. 399 C).

11. Ψυχὴ — a double derivation is proposed: first, τὸ ἀνάψυχον, next, a second, i.e. ψυχὴ = φυσέχη, ἢ φύσιν ὀχεῖ καὶ ἔχει, which second is declared to be τεχνικώτερον, and the former to be ridiculous (pp. 399 E, 400 A-B).

12. Σῶμα = τὸ σῆμα τῆς φυχῆς, because the soul is buried in the body. Or σῶμα, that is, preserved or guarded, by the body as by an exterior wall, in order that it may expiate wrongs of a preceding life (p. 400 C).

13. The first imposer of names was a philosopher who followed the theory of Herakleitus — perpetual flux of everything. Pursuant to this theory he gave to various Gods the names Kronos, Rhea, Tethys, &c., all signifying flux (p. 402 A-D).

14. Various derivations of the names Poseidon, Hades or Pluto, Persephonê or Pherrephatta, &c., are given (pp. 404-405); also of Apollo, so as to fit on to the four functions of the last-named God, μουσική, μαντική, ἰατρική, τοξική (p. 405).

15. Μοῦσα — μουσικὴ, from μῶσθαι (recognised in Liddell and Scott from μάω p. 406 A). Ἀφροδίτη from ἀφροῦ γένεσιν, the Hesiodic derivation (p. 406 B-D).

16. Ἀὴρ — ὅτι αἴρει τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς — ἢ ὅτι ἀεὶ ῥεῖ — ἢ ὅτι πνεῦμα ἐξ αὐτοῦ γίγνεται ῥέοντος — quasi ἀητόῤῥουν. Αἰθὴρ — ὅτι ἀεὶ θεῖ περὶ τὸν ἀέρα ῥέων (p. 410 B).

17. Φρόνησις — φορᾶς καὶ ῥοῦ νόησις ὑπολαβεῖν φορᾶς. This and the following are put as derivatives from the Herakleitean theory (p. 411 D-E). Νόησις = τοῦ νέου ἔσις. Σωφροσύνη — σωτηρία φρονήσεως. This is recognised by Aristotle in the Nikom. Ethica, vi. 5.

18. Ἐπιστήμη = ἐπιστημένη — ὡς φερομένοις τοῖς πράγμασιν ἑπομένης τῆς ψυχῆς (p. 412 A).

19. Δικαιοσύνη — ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ δικαίου συνέσει (p. 412 C).

20. Κακία = τὸ κακῶς ἰόν. Δειλία — τῆς ψυχῆς δεσμὸς ἰσχυρός — ὃ δεῖ λίαν. Ἀρετὴ = ἀειρείτη — that which has an easy and constant flux, or perhaps αἱρετή (p. 415 B-D). Αἰσχρὸν = τὸ ἀεισχοροῦν — τὸ ἀεὶ ἴσχον τὸν ῥοῦν (p. 416 B). Σύμφερὸν = τὴ ἅμα φορὰν τῆς ψυχῆς μετὰ τῶν πραγμάτων (p. 417 A). Λυσιτέλουν = τὸ τῆς φορᾶς λύον τὸ τέλος (p. 417 C-E). Βλαβερὸν = τὸ βλάπτον τὸν ῥοῦν.

The names of favourable import are such as designate facility of the universal flux, according to the Herakleitean theory. The names of unfavourable import designate obstruction of the flux.

21. Ζυγὸν = δυογόν (p. 418 D).

22. Εὐφροσύνη — ἀπὸ τοῦ εὖ πράγμασι τὴν ψυχὴν ξυμφέρεσθαι = εὐφεροσύνη (p. 419 D).

23. Θυμὸς — ἀπὸ τῆς θύσεως καὶ ζέσεως τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἐπιθυμία — ἡ ἐπὶ τὸν θυμὸν ἰοῦσα δύναμις (p. 419 E).

24. Τὸ ὄν = τὸ οὖ τυγχάνει ζήτημα, τὸ ὄνομα. Ὀνομαστὸν = ὄν, οὖ μάσμα ἐστίν. (Μάσμα = ζήτημα: μαίεσθαι = ζητεῖν) (p. 421 A).

25. Ἀληθεία — θεία ἄλη, or ἡ θεία τοῦ ὄντος φορά. Ψεῦδος from εὕδειν, with ψῖ prefixed, as being the opposite of movement and flux (p. 421 B-C).

26. Several derivations of names are given by Sokrates, as founded upon the theory opposed to Herakleitus — i.e., the theory that things were not in perpetual flux, but stationary:—

Ἐπιστήμη — ὅτι ἵστησιν ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς πράγμασι τὴν ψυχήν.

Ἱστορία — ὅτι ἵστησι τὸν ῥοῦν.

Πιστὸν — ἱστᾷν παντάπασι σημαίνει.

Μνήμη — μονὴ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ (437 A-C).

27. We found before that some names of good attributes were founded on the Herakleitean theory. But there are also names of bad attributes founded on it.

Ἀμαθία = ἡ τοῦ ἅμα θεῷ ἰόντος πορεία.

Ἀκολασία = ἡ ἀκολουθία τοῖς πράγμασιν (p. 437 C).

Sokrates contrasts the two theories of στάσις and κίνησις, and says that he believes the first Name-Givers to have apportioned names in conformity to the theory of κίνησις, but that he thinks they were mistaken in adopting that theory (p. 439 C).