Note 4 — Chapter XXXI · KRATYLUS.
Reading edition
Aristot. De Interpretat. ii. 1-2: Ὄνομα μὲν οὖν ἐστὶ φωνὴ σημαντικὴ κατὰ συνθήκην ἄνευ χρόνου … τὸ δὲ κατὰ συνθήκην, ὅτι φύσει τῶν ὀνομάτων οὐδέν ἐστιν, &c.
This is the same doctrine which Plato puts into the mouth of Hermogenes (Kratylus, p. 384 E), and which Sokrates himself, in the latter half of the dialogue, admits as true to a large extent: that is, he admits that names are significant κατὰ συνθήκην, though he does not deny that they are or may be significant φύσει.
Τὸ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου (p. 397 A) is another phrase for expressing the opinion opposed to ὀνομάτων ὀρθότης.