cratylus-第6节

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or　o　eirein　momenos；　that　is；　eiremes　or　ermesthe　speaker　or　contriver　of

speeches。　　'Well　said　Cratylus；　then；　that　I　am　no　son　of　Hermes。'　　Pan；　as

the　son　of　Hermes；　is　speech　or　the　brother　of　speech；　and　is　called　Pan

because　speech　indicates　everythingo　pan　menuon。　　He　has　two　forms；　a

true　and　a　false；　and　is　in　the　upper　part　smooth；　and　in　the　lower　part

shaggy。　　He　is　the　goat　of　Tragedy；　in　which　there　are　plenty　of

falsehoods。



'Will　you　go　on　to　the　elementssun；　moon；　stars；　earth；　aether；　air；

fire；　water；　seasons；　years？'　　Very　good：　　and　which　shall　I　take　first？　

Let　us　begin　with　elios；　or　the　sun。　　The　Doric　form　elios　helps　us　to　see

that　he　is　so　called　because　at　his　rising　he　gathers　（alizei）　men

together；　or　because　he　rolls　about　（eilei）　the　earth；　or　because　he

variegates　（aiolei　=　poikillei）　the　earth。　　Selene　is　an　anticipation　of

Anaxagoras；　being　a　contraction　of　selaenoneoaeia；　the　light　（selas）　which

is　ever　old　and　new；　and　which；　as　Anaxagoras　says；　is　borrowed　from　the

sun；　the　name　was　harmonized　into　selanaia；　a　form　which　is　still　in　use。　

'That　is　a　true　dithyrambic　name。'　　Meis　is　so　called　apo　tou　meiousthai；

from　suffering　diminution；　and　astron　is　from　astrape　（lightning）；　which　is

an　improvement　of　anastrope；　that　which　turns　the　eyes　inside　out。　　'How　do

you　explain　pur　n　udor？'　　I　suspect　that　pur；　which；　like　udor　n　kuon；　is

found　in　Phrygian；　is　a　foreign　word；　for　the　Hellenes　have　borrowed　much

from　the　barbarians；　and　I　always　resort　to　this　theory　of　a　foreign　origin

when　I　am　at　a　loss。　　Aer　may　be　explained；　oti　airei　ta　apo　tes　ges；　or；

oti　aei　rei；　or；　oti　pneuma　ex　autou　ginetai　（compare　the　poetic　word

aetai）。　　So　aither　quasi　aeitheer　oti　aei　thei　peri　ton　aera：　　ge；　gaia

quasi　genneteira　（compare　the　Homeric　form　gegaasi）；　ora　（with　an　omega）；

or；　according　to　the　old　Attic　form　ora　（with　an　omicron）；　is　derived　apo

tou　orizein；　because　it　divides　the　year；　eniautos　and　etos　are　the　same

thoughto　en　eauto　etazon；　cut　into　two　parts；　en　eauto　and　etazon；　like

di　on　ze　into　Dios　and　Zenos。



'You　make　surprising　progress。'　　True；　I　am　run　away　with；　and　am　not　even

yet　at　my　utmost　speed。　　'I　should　like　very　much　to　hear　your　account　of

the　virtues。　　What　principle　of　correctness　is　there　in　those　charming

words；　wisdom；　understanding；　justice；　and　the　rest？'　　To　explain　all　that

will　be　a　serious　business；　still；　as　I　have　put　on　the　lion's　skin；

appearances　must　be　maintained。　　My　opinion　is；　that　primitive　men　were

like　some　modern　philosophers；　who；　by　always　going　round　in　their　search

after　the　nature　of　things；　become　dizzy；　and　this　phenomenon；　which　was

really　in　themselves；　they　imagined　to　take　place　in　the　external　world。　

You　have　no　doubt　remarked；　that　the　doctrine　of　the　universal　flux；　or

generation　of　things；　is　indicated　in　names。　　'No；　I　never　did。'　　Phronesis

is　only　phoras　kai　rou　noesis；　or　perhaps　phoras　onesis；　and　in　any　case　is

connected　with　pheresthai；　gnome　is　gones　skepsis　kai　nomesis；　noesis　is

neou　or　gignomenon　esis；　the　word　neos　implies　that　creation　is　always

going　onthe　original　form　was　neoesis；　sophrosune　is　soteria　phroneseos；

episteme　is　e　epomene　tois　pragmasinthe　faculty　which　keeps　close；

neither　anticipating　nor　lagging　behind；　sunesis　is　equivalent　to　sunienai；

sumporeuesthai　ten　psuche；　and　is　a　kind　of　conclusionsullogismos　tis；

akin　therefore　in　idea　to　episteme；　sophia　is　very　difficult；　and　has　a

foreign　lookthe　meaning　is；　touching　the　motion　or　stream　of　things；　and

may　be　illustrated　by　the　poetical　esuthe　and　the　Lacedaemonian　proper　name

Sous；　or　Rush；　agathon　is　ro　agaston　en　te　tachuteti；for　all　things　are

in　motion；　and　some　are　swifter　than　others：　　dikaiosune　is　clearly　e　tou

dikaiou　sunesis。　　The　word　dikaion　is　more　troublesome；　and　appears　to　mean

the　subtle　penetrating　power　which；　as　the　lovers　of　motion　say；　preserves

all　things；　and　is　the　cause　of　all　things；　quasi　diaion　going　throughthe

letter　kappa　being　inserted　for　the　sake　of　euphony。　　This　is　a　great

mystery　which　has　been　confided　to　me；　but　when　I　ask　for　an　explanation　I

am　thought　obtrusive；　and　another　derivation　is　proposed　to　me。　　Justice　is

said　to　be　o　kaion；　or　the　sun；　and　when　I　joyfully　repeat　this　beautiful

notion；　I　am　answered；　'What；　is　there　no　justice　when　the　sun　is　down？'　

And　when　I　entreat　my　questioner　to　tell　me　his　own　opinion；　he　replies；

that　justice　is　fire　in　the　abstract；　or　heat　in　the　abstract；　which　is　not

very　intelligible。　　Others　laugh　at　such　notions；　and　say　with　Anaxagoras；

that　justice　is　the　ordering　mind。　　'I　think　that　some　one　must　have　told

you　this。'　　And　not　the　rest？　　Let　me　proceed　then；　in　the　hope　of　proving

to　you　my　originality。　　Andreia　is　quasi　anpeia　quasi　e　ano　roe；　the　stream

which　flows　upwards；　and　is　opposed　to　injustice；　which　clearly　hinders　the

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　（d