按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
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 (desmos) or hindrance of motion; but in its ancient
form dion is expressive of good; quasi diion; that which penetrates or goes
through all。 Zemiodes is really demiodes; and means that which binds
motion (dounti to ion): edone is e pros ten onrsin teinousa praxisthe
delta is an insertion: lupe is derived apo tes dialuseos tou somatos: ania
is from alpha and ienai; to go: algedon is a foreign word; and is so
called apo tou algeinou: odune is apo tes enduseos tes lupes: achthedon
is in its very sound a burden: chapa expresses the flow of soul: terpsis
is apo tou terpnou; and terpnon is properly erpnon; because the sensation
of pleasure is likened to a breath (pnoe) which creeps (erpei) through the
soul: euphrosune is named from pheresthai; because the soul moves in
harmony with nature: epithumia is e epi ton thumon iousa dunamis: thumos
is apo tes thuseos tes psuches: imerosoti eimenos pei e psuche: pothos;
the desire which is in another place; allothi pou: eros was anciently
esros; and so called because it flows into (esrei) the soul from without:
doxa is e dioxis tou eidenai; or expresses the shooting from a bow (toxon)。
The latter etymology is confirmed by the words boulesthai; boule; aboulia;
which all have to do with shooting (bole): and similarly oiesis is nothing
but the movement (oisis) of the soul towards essence。 Ekousion is to
eikonthe yieldinganagke is e an agke iousa; the passage through ravines
which impede motion: aletheia is theia ale; divine motion。 Pseudos is the
opposite of this; implying the principle of constraint and forced repose;
which is expressed under the figure of sleep; to eudon; the psi is an
addition。 Onoma; a name; affirms the real existence of that which is
sought afteron ou masma estin。 On and ousia are only ion with an iota
broken off; and ouk on is ouk ion。 'And what are ion; reon; doun?' One
way of explaining them has been already suggestedthey may be of foreign
orig