Dialogue

  1 Craty|            suppose that Plato used words in order to conceal his
  2 Craty|       treatise of Antisthenes upon words, or the speculations of
  3 Craty|         Was there a correctness in words, and were they given by
  4 Craty|          show that we must not put words in the place of things or
  5 Craty|          freedom of conversation. ‘Words are more plastic than wax’ (
  6 Craty|   dialectician is the artificer of words, and the legislator gives
  7 Craty|      exceptional in language. Some words have had their original
  8 Craty|        from this that he conceived words, like coins, to be issued
  9 Craty|           the analogy of the arts. Words are works of art which may
 10 Craty|       capable of being embodied in words. Of the names of the ideas,
 11 Craty|           the want of agreement in words and things. Hence we are
 12 Craty|             we easily see that his words are not to be taken seriously.
 13 Craty|          Having explained compound words by resolving them into their
 14 Craty|         proceeds to analyse simple words into the letters of which
 15 Craty|        that is to say, he supposes words to be formed by the imitation
 16 Craty|            the derivation of Greek words from other languages, or
 17 Craty|        fourfold interpretations of words, impossible unions and separations
 18 Craty|          we are over-precise about words, truth will say “too late”
 19 Craty|           But, surely, there is in words a true and a false, as there
 20 Craty|           the things differ as the words which represent them differ:—
 21 Craty|          the course of nature; the words by which they are signified
 22 Craty|         good warrior); but the two words present the same idea of
 23 Craty|        leader or general, like the words Iatrocles and Acesimbrotus,
 24 Craty|         Diphilos), and we may make words into sentences and sentences
 25 Craty|       sentences and sentences into words. The name anthrotos is a
 26 Craty|     languages; for even in foreign words a principle is discernible.
 27 Craty|      remarkable coincidence in the words of Hesiod, when he speaks
 28 Craty|           but if you suggest other words, you will see how the horses
 29 Craty|            there in those charming words, wisdom, understanding,
 30 Craty|            also a great alterer of words. For example, what business
 31 Craty|   elevation I will examine the two words kakia and arete. The first
 32 Craty|       ischon roun. The inventor of words being a patron of the flux,
 33 Craty|          saying, have been made in words, and even a small change
 34 Craty|          is one of these disguised words. You know that according
 35 Craty|      etymology is confirmed by the words boulesthai, boule, aboulia,
 36 Craty|            prevent our recognizing words, after all the complications
 37 Craty|    syllables; and these again into words, until the picture or figure—
 38 Craty|           of rho is evident in the words tremble, break, crush, crumble,
 39 Craty|      denotes smoothness, as in the words slip, sleek, sleep, and
 40 Craty|            Cratylus replies in the words of Achilles: ‘“Illustrious
 41 Craty|            Hermogenes! would these words be true or false? ‘I should
 42 Craty|        language so consistent? all words have the same laws.’ Mere
 43 Craty|          first principles. But are words really consistent; are there
 44 Craty|         motion; and there are many words having a bad sense, which
 45 Craty|          but the greater number of words express motion.’ Are we
 46 Craty|      between them, not by counting words, but by appealing to things.
 47 Craty|   vanishing away from us while the words are yet in our mouths? And
 48 Craty|       poetical and literary use of words. They develope rapidly in
 49 Craty|            is the poet or maker of words, as in civilised ages the
 50 Craty|           he finds that many Greek words are incapable of explanation.
 51 Craty|      account. These unintelligible words he supposes to be of foreign
 52 Craty|            remarks that in foreign words there is still a principle
 53 Craty|          greater number of primary words do not admit of derivation
 54 Craty|        between simple and compound words, a truth second only in
 55 Craty|          age to find philosophy in words; and he afterwards corrects
 56 Craty|           many, or almost as many, words expressive of rest, as he
 57 Craty|      otherwise, who would learn of words when he might learn of things?
 58 Craty|         which may be gathered from words is not metaphysical or moral,
 59 Craty|         philosophy. For the use of words on such subjects may often
 60 Craty|         nature. There are too many words as well as too few; and
 61 Craty|          be above language, making words our servants, and not allowing
 62 Craty|            etymological meaning of words is in process of being lost.
 63 Craty|            their relation to other words, are always exercising an
 64 Craty|            an influence over them. Words appear to be isolated, but
 65 Craty|            scientific language, in words which should have fixed
 66 Craty|           pedantic distinctions of words or attempts to confine their
 67 Craty|            curious observations on words and sounds. ‘The Eretrians
 68 Craty|             The Phrygians have the words pur, udor, kunes slightly
 69 Craty|         yet learned to distinguish words from things. Socrates replies
 70 Craty|    Socrates replies in effect that words have an independent existence;
 71 Craty|          state of language.’ These words suggest a question of deeper
 72 Craty|            more trivial than a few words uttered by a child in any
 73 Craty|        into the formation of those words have entered causes which
 74 Craty|           description of the poet. Words now can be used more freely
 75 Craty|    converse; they can not only use words, but they can even play
 76 Craty|            definite knowledge. The words ‘evolution,’ ‘birth,’ ‘law,’
 77 Craty|         the deaf and dumb who have words without sounds, of the various
 78 Craty|          mental processes, we find words everywhere in every degree
 79 Craty|           attempt to think without words is a mere illusion,—they
 80 Craty|       manner we might think of the words which we daily use, as derived
 81 Craty|      exercised over thought. Fixed words, like fixed ideas, have
 82 Craty|   mechanical cohesion of sounds or words, and the ‘chemical’ combination
 83 Craty|       language, nor the anatomy of words and sentences with their
 84 Craty|            is there any proof that words were ever used without any
 85 Craty|        used shorter, others longer words or cries: they may have
 86 Craty|           continue or divide their words, charming their souls with
 87 Craty|           type on which many other words or inflexions of words were
 88 Craty|       other words or inflexions of words were framed, and may have
 89 Craty|         exceptions, e.g. technical words or words newly imported
 90 Craty|            e.g. technical words or words newly imported from a foreign
 91 Craty|          art has imitated nature, ‘words are not made but grow.’
 92 Craty|        languages are alike, no two words have exactly the same meaning.
 93 Craty|            the construction of the words which we are using?—No more
 94 Craty|         conscious, but the several words, syllables, letters are
 95 Craty|         ever attempt to invent new words or to alter the meaning
 96 Craty|           of technical or borrowed words which are artificially made
 97 Craty|       taking thought’ can make new words or constructions? Reflection
 98 Craty|           roots or terminations of words, we should not forget how
 99 Craty|       sometimes accused of putting words in the place of things.
100 Craty|          the natural selection’ of words or meanings of words or
101 Craty|            of words or meanings of words or by the ‘persistence and
102 Craty|       struggle for existence among words is not of that fierce and
103 Craty|           idiom and higher life of words it does not enter. The ordinary
104 Craty|           a word has been omitted: words are omitted because they
105 Craty|           envelope it in a mist of words. Some philologers, like
106 Craty|         they may only borrow a few words from one another and retain
107 Craty|          or in writing, how we put words together, how we construct
108 Craty|       formation and composition of words, the laws of euphony and
109 Craty|         old age, the searching for words, and the confusion of them
110 Craty|        more commonly than of other words because they are more isolated),
111 Craty|       speech? Why is the number of words so small in which the sound
112 Craty|            Why does the meaning of words depart so widely from their
113 Craty|            from adjectives? Why do words differing in origin coalesce
114 Craty|           not yet distributed into words and sentences, in which
115 Craty|         sounds and the meanings of words, a lower stage of language
116 Craty|          far the greater number of words it has become disguised
117 Craty|           early language, in which words were few; and its influence
118 Craty|    formative principle, which used words and letters not as crude
119 Craty|        affected not so much single words, as larger portions of human
120 Craty|      harmonious composition of the words, syllables, letters, accents,
121 Craty|      pumbein (whirl),—in all which words we notice a parallel composition
122 Craty|          English we find groups of words such as string, swing, sling,
123 Craty|           an actual manufacture of words out of syllables and letters,
124 Craty|          of onomatopea in separate words become almost obliterated
125 Craty|      ceases to act upon individual words; but still works through
126 Craty|            substantial portions of words become modified or inflected?
127 Craty|     meanings? First we remark that words are attracted by the sounds
128 Craty|         sounds and senses of other words, so that they form groups
129 Craty|         the sounds and meanings of words were in time parted off
130 Craty|         their intonation or use of words. On the other hand, the
131 Craty| intermediate sounds or meanings of words should quickly become fixed
132 Craty|       printing. (2) The meaning of words varies because ideas vary
133 Craty|            reason. New meanings of words push themselves into the
134 Craty|            differing analogies, of words and the inflexions of words,
135 Craty|        words and the inflexions of words, which often come into conflict
136 Craty|             if he were to form new words, would make them all of
137 Craty|          wrong in the formation of words. For almost any formation
138 Craty|       formation and correlation of words by accident, that is to
139 Craty|          ask what is the origin of words or whether they are formed
140 Craty|       result that the sound of the words has been carefully preserved
141 Craty|             5) the relativeness of words to one another.~It has been
142 Craty|            variety in the order of words gives more flexibility and
143 Craty|         sake of emphasis, the same words are repeated at short intervals.
144 Craty|    character of the word. Striking words and expressions cannot be
145 Craty|          to the multiplications of words and the meanings of words,
146 Craty|          words and the meanings of words, and generally to an enlargement
147 Craty|            by the fewness of their words, also escapes from it. When
148 Craty|          thoughts in a set form of words having a kind of rhythm;
149 Craty|            accent and the order of words and the balance of clauses,
150 Craty|           and striking examples of words or phrases which have this
151 Craty|            knows that we often put words together in a manner which
152 Craty|        either about the meaning of words or the use of constructions
153 Craty|     principle. We can bear to have words and sentences used in new
154 Craty|          he did. The parody of the words of Shakspere or of the Bible,
155 Craty|            to us. The better known words, even if their meaning be
156 Craty|          from itself, but from the words with which it is associated.
157 Craty|      famous expression of Luther, ‘Words are living creatures, having
158 Craty|            lead us to suppose that words have a fixed form and sound.
159 Craty|         relative—sounds to sounds, words to words, the parts to the
160 Craty|         sounds to sounds, words to words, the parts to the whole—
161 Craty|         language—these are his own words—and then I should have been
162 Craty|       acknowledge that there is in words a true and a false?~HERMOGENES:
163 Craty|            immediate, —or in other words, pelas (near), in his eagerness
164 Craty|            and pull out letters in words, and give names as we please
165 Craty|          are sometimes inserted in words instead of being omitted,
166 Craty|     analyze them like the previous words.~SOCRATES: You want me first
167 Craty|            enough of this class of words. But have we any more explanations
168 Craty|            is made up of these two words.~HERMOGENES: The idea is
169 Craty|            able to infuse into his words. And, according to this
170 Craty|         akoitis, and in many other words the alpha is supposed to
171 Craty|           among men. And as in the words akolouthos and akoitis the
172 Craty|        contrived’—out of these two words, eirein and mesasthai, the
173 Craty|          say so?~SOCRATES: The two words selas (brightness) and phos (
174 Craty|          of this and several other words?—My belief is that they
175 Craty|            language from which the words are derived, is rather likely
176 Craty|       kunes (dogs), and many other words.~HERMOGENES: That is true.~
177 Craty|     violent interpretations of the words should be avoided; for something
178 Craty|           fruits of the earth. The words eniautos and etos appear
179 Craty|         this is broken up into two words, eniautos from en eauto,
180 Craty|             but has two names, two words etos and eniautos being
181 Craty|            there in those charming words—wisdom, understanding, justice,
182 Craty|           all those other charming words, as you call them?~HERMOGENES:
183 Craty|         not have been praised. The words arren (male) and aner (man)
184 Craty|    consider the meaning of the two words arete (virtue) and kakia (
185 Craty|        suppose that we leave these words and endeavour to see the
186 Craty|          HERMOGENES: There are the words which are connected with
187 Craty|            are they?~SOCRATES: The words axumphoron (inexpedient),
188 Craty|            I would rather take the words blaberon (harmful), zemiodes (
189 Craty|         are made in the meaning of words by putting in and pulling
190 Craty|         will then agree with other words meaning good; for dion,
191 Craty|        opinion), and that class of words?~SOCRATES: Doxa is either
192 Craty|         and deliberating—all these words seem to follow doxa, and
193 Craty|            which states in so many words that real existence is that
194 Craty|         also the original forms of words may have been lost in the
195 Craty|            on analysing names into words, and enquiring also into
196 Craty|          elements out of which the words are formed, and keeps on
197 Craty|            concerning the truth of words. And yet any sort of ignorance
198 Craty|          an ignorance of secondary words; for they can only be explained
199 Craty|         for example, in the actual words rein and roe he represents
200 Craty|         motion by rho; also in the words tromos (trembling), trachus (
201 Craty|             rugged); and again, in words such as krouein (strike),
202 Craty|         look fore and aft,’ in the words of the aforesaid Homer.
203 Craty|             son of Smicrion’—these words, whether spoken, said, uttered,
204 Craty|           no purpose; and that his words would be an unmeaning sound
205 Craty|            I mean both pictures or words) are not equally attributable
206 Craty|            good image, or in other words a name; but if he subtracts
207 Craty|          that the signification of words is given by custom and not
208 Craty|          quite agree with you that words should as far as possible
209 Craty|           in speaking that all the words which you utter have a common
210 Craty|          and not motion. Moreover, words such as amartia and sumphora,
211 Craty|     sunesis and episteme and other words which have a good sense (