Dialogue

  1 Craty|       Cratylus is of opinion that a name is either a true name or
  2 Craty|             a name is either a true name or not a name at all. He
  3 Craty|         either a true name or not a name at all. He is unable to
  4 Craty|      convention. But still the true name is that which has a natural
  5 Craty|           double explanation of the name Hermogenes, either as ‘not
  6 Craty|             the Lacedaemonian whose name was ‘Rush,’ and, above all,
  7 Craty|           sophists are mentioned by name: first, Protagoras and Euthydemus
  8 Craty|      affirms that his own is a true name, but will not allow that
  9 Craty|             will not allow that the name of Hermogenes is equally
 10 Craty|           that Hermogenes is a true name, he supposes him to mean
 11 Craty|             please, and the altered name is as good as the original
 12 Craty|             that anybody may give a name to anything, and as many
 13 Craty|            of speaking, and we must name according to a natural process,
 14 Craty|            weave with a shuttle, we name with a name. And as a shuttle
 15 Craty|             shuttle, we name with a name. And as a shuttle separates
 16 Craty|            warp from the woof, so a name distinguishes the natures
 17 Craty|            the teacher will use the name well,—that is, like a teacher.
 18 Craty|             person. But who makes a name? Does not the law give names,
 19 Craty|            not every one can give a name. But what is the nature
 20 Craty|             probable that the other name was conferred by the women?
 21 Craty|            with the men: and of the name given by them he offers
 22 Craty|          Whether the syllables of a name are the same or not makes
 23 Craty|        upsilon, omicron, omega. The name Beta has three letters added
 24 Craty|          word, or prevent the whole name having the value which the
 25 Craty|            of whom the former has a name significant of his patience
 26 Craty|            siege of Troy; while the name of the latter indicates
 27 Craty|           entail upon his race. The name Tantalus, if slightly changed,
 28 Craty|           upon his country. And the name of his father, Zeus, Dios,
 29 Craty|            of the Barbarians, their name is given to all Gods. The
 30 Craty|           sentences into words. The name anthrotos is a case in point,
 31 Craty|           he graciously receive any name by which I call him.’ And
 32 Craty|            did he mean who gave the name Hestia? ‘That is a very
 33 Craty|            is nothing more than the name of a spring—to diattomenon
 34 Craty|            ornament; or perhaps the name may have been originally
 35 Craty|         with the invisible. But the name Hades was really given him
 36 Craty|           sophe). Apollo is another name, which is supposed to have
 37 Craty|         Hesiod. Again, there is the name of Pallas, or Athene, which
 38 Craty| interpreters of Homer, who make the name equivalent to theonoe, or
 39 Craty|          borrowed from the sun; the name was harmonized into selanaia,
 40 Craty|          That is a true dithyrambic name.’ Meis is so called apo
 41 Craty|            the Lacedaemonian proper name Sous, or Rush; agathon is
 42 Craty|          pull out, as you like, any name is equally good for any
 43 Craty|            is an addition. Onoma, a name, affirms the real existence
 44 Craty|        tongue or voice is not yet a name, because people may imitate
 45 Craty|       naming them. What, then, is a name? In the first place, a name
 46 Craty|         name? In the first place, a name is not a musical, or, secondly,
 47 Craty|      Cratylus cannot admit that one name is better than another;
 48 Craty|          when he is asked about the name of Hermogenes, who is acknowledged
 49 Craty|           he affirms this to be the name of somebody else. Socrates
 50 Craty|            say to him ‘this is your name’—in the one case appealing
 51 Craty|             the sounds makes a good name, and he who gives only some
 52 Craty|             or imperfect one, but a name still. The artist of names,
 53 Craty|           or misplace a letter, the name ceases to be a name.’ Socrates
 54 Craty|             the name ceases to be a name.’ Socrates admits that the
 55 Craty|             may still affirm that a name to be correct must have
 56 Craty|        Because there is or is not a name for a thing, we cannot argue
 57 Craty|            ask him, whether his own name of Cratylus is a true name
 58 Craty|          name of Cratylus is a true name or not, and he answers ‘
 59 Craty|              Yes.’ Then every man’s name, as I tell him, is that
 60 Craty|              that would not be your name.’ And when I am anxious
 61 Craty|          When he declares that your name is not really Hermogenes,
 62 Craty|       convention and agreement; any name which you give, in my opinion,
 63 Craty|           and give another, the new name is as correct as the old—
 64 Craty|       slaves, and the newly-imposed name is as good as the old: for
 65 Craty|            the old: for there is no name given to anything by nature;
 66 Craty|           Your meaning is, that the name of each thing is only that
 67 Craty|            Whether the giver of the name be an individual or a city?~
 68 Craty|             any part smaller than a name?~HERMOGENES: No; that is
 69 Craty|        smallest.~SOCRATES: Then the name is a part of the true proposition?~
 70 Craty|            infer.~SOCRATES: And the name of anything is that which
 71 Craty|           any one affirms to be the name?~HERMOGENES: Yes.~SOCRATES:
 72 Craty|             than this; you give one name, and I another; and in different
 73 Craty|           and no other way shall we name with success.~HERMOGENES:
 74 Craty|         SOCRATES: And with which we name?~HERMOGENES: A name.~SOCRATES:
 75 Craty|        which we name?~HERMOGENES: A name.~SOCRATES: Very good: then
 76 Craty|         SOCRATES: Very good: then a name is an instrument?~HERMOGENES:
 77 Craty|            answer me? Regarding the name as an instrument, what do
 78 Craty|   instrument, what do we do when we name?~HERMOGENES: I cannot say.~
 79 Craty|             we do.~SOCRATES: Then a name is an instrument of teaching
 80 Craty|            the teacher will use the name well—and well means like
 81 Craty|           when the teacher uses the name, whose work will he be using?~
 82 Craty|         teacher, when he gives us a name, uses the work of the legislator?~
 83 Craty|         every man is able to give a name, but only a maker of names;
 84 Craty|             to put the true natural name of each thing into sounds
 85 Craty|            with a view to the ideal name, if he is to be a namer
 86 Craty|         true and proper form of the name in whatever syllables; this
 87 Craty|              Yes; that would be his name.~SOCRATES: Then the work
 88 Craty|            he only who looks to the name which each thing by nature
 89 Craty|         knows how to give a thing a name.~HERMOGENES: Very good.~
 90 Craty|           how much more correct the name Chalcis is than the name
 91 Craty|            name Chalcis is than the name Cymindis—do you deem that
 92 Craty|             him Astyanax, the other name of Scamandrius could only
 93 Craty|       Astyanax to be a more correct name for the boy than Scamandrius?~
 94 Craty|        himself also give Hector his name?~HERMOGENES: What of that?~
 95 Craty|         What of that?~SOCRATES: The name appears to me to be very
 96 Craty|         very nearly the same as the name of Astyanax—both are Hellenic;
 97 Craty|        whether the syllables of the name are the same or not the
 98 Craty|        remains in possession of the name and appears in it.~HERMOGENES:
 99 Craty|        there can be no mistake, the name of the letter is quite correct.
100 Craty|          does not prevent the whole name from having the value which
101 Craty|          and therefore has the same name. Yet the syllables may be
102 Craty|           son, he ought to bear the name not of his father, but of
103 Craty|             whether chance gave the name, or perhaps some poet who
104 Craty|          SOCRATES: And his father’s name is also according to nature.~
105 Craty|           SOCRATES: Yes, for as his name, so also is his nature;
106 Craty|           which is signified by the name Agamemnon. I also think
107 Craty|   destructive to his reputation—the name is a little altered and
108 Craty|            the destructive one, the name is perfectly correct in
109 Craty|          appropriately; for, as the name implies, he is rightly called
110 Craty|            one would agree that the name of Tantalus is rightly given
111 Craty|           wonderfully well with his name. You might imagine that
112 Craty|          misfortune), disguised the name by altering it into Tantalus;
113 Craty|       actually been transmuted. The name of Zeus, who is his alleged
114 Craty|          God, and the business of a name, as we were saying, is to
115 Craty|         Zena and Dia, which are one name, although divided, meaning
116 Craty|             meaning of his father’s name: Kronos quasi Koros (Choreo,
117 Craty|           have a pure mind, and the name Uranus is therefore correct.
118 Craty|         proceeded to apply the same name to them all. Do you think
119 Craty|         becomes a demon; which is a name given to him signifying
120 Craty|   difficulty in explaining, for the name is not much altered, and
121 Craty|            will see better that the name heros is only a slight alteration
122 Craty|         That is true.~SOCRATES: The name anthropos, which was once
123 Craty|            those who first used the name psuche meant to express
124 Craty|             the true meaning of the name.~HERMOGENES: But what shall
125 Craty|           were the inventors of the name, and they were under the
126 Craty|              soma, sozetai), as the name soma implies, until the
127 Craty|             have meant who gave the name Hestia?~HERMOGENES: That
128 Craty|            and Cronos, although the name of Cronos has been already
129 Craty|       understand the meaning of the name Tethys.~SOCRATES: Well,
130 Craty|      self-explained, being only the name of a spring, a little disguised;
131 Craty|        likened to a spring, and the name Tethys is made up of these
132 Craty|             by that or by his other name.~HERMOGENES: By all means.~
133 Craty|            original inventor of the name had been stopped by the
134 Craty|            perhaps, not so; but the name may have been originally
135 Craty|           wealth (Ploutos), and his name means the giver of wealth,
136 Craty|             and that the office and name of the God really correspond.~
137 Craty|      married her; possibly also the name may have been given when
138 Craty|        times over. People dread the name of Pherephatta as they dread
139 Craty|       Pherephatta as they dread the name of Apollo,—and with as little
140 Craty|            But they go changing the name into Phersephone, and they
141 Craty|            at this; whereas the new name means only that the Goddess
142 Craty|    Pherepaphe (Pherepapha), or some name like it, because she touches
143 Craty|             is wise. They alter her name into Pherephatta now-a-days,
144 Craty|           truth. There is the other name, Apollo, which, as I was
145 Craty|             true.~SOCRATES: But the name, in my opinion, is really
146 Craty|             believe that any single name could have been better adapted
147 Craty|              That must be a strange name, and I should like to hear
148 Craty|            Say rather an harmonious name, as beseems the God of Harmony.
149 Craty|         never misses; or again, the name may refer to his musical
150 Craty|               so the meaning of the name Apollo will be ‘moving together,’
151 Craty|  substituted for an omicron, so the name Apollon is equivalent to
152 Craty|      consider the true value of the name, which, as I was saying
153 Craty|            apolouon, omopolon). The name of the Muses and of music
154 Craty|          and Leto is called by this name, because she is such a gentle
155 Craty|          grant our requests; or her name may be Letho, as she is
156 Craty|            who gave the Goddess her name may have had any or all
157 Craty|           is the explanation of the name Pallas?~HERMOGENES: Yes;
158 Craty|             do you say of the other name?~SOCRATES: Athene?~HERMOGENES:
159 Craty|               Perhaps, however, the name Theonoe may mean ‘she who
160 Craty|          and therefore gave her the name ethonoe; which, however,
161 Craty|             should imagine that the name Hermes has to do with speech,
162 Craty|           the legislator formed the name of the God who invented
163 Craty|     dictating to us the use of this name: ‘O my friends,’ says he
164 Craty|            call him alios, and this name is given to him because
165 Craty|           the moon)?~SOCRATES: That name is rather unfortunate for
166 Craty|          may very properly have the name selaenoneoaeia; and this
167 Craty|            real dithyrambic sort of name that, Socrates. But what
168 Craty|           suffering diminution; the name of astra (stars) seems to
169 Craty|        etazei, just as the original name of Zeus was divided into
170 Craty|        mentioned; clearly that is a name indicative of motion.~HERMOGENES:
171 Craty|            HERMOGENES: What was the name?~SOCRATES: Phronesis (wisdom),
172 Craty|          creation. The giver of the name wanted to express this longing
173 Craty|          the soul, for the original name was neoesis, and not noesis;
174 Craty|       motion. Good (agathon) is the name which is given to the admirable (
175 Craty|            I am of opinion that the name, which has led me into this
176 Craty|         considered. Well, then, the name of andreia seems to imply
177 Craty|             delta from andreia, the name at once signifies the thing,
178 Craty|            by the legislator in the name, which is a compound of
179 Craty|            too easily made, and any name may be adapted to any object.~
180 Craty|            the soul has the general name of kakia, or vice, specially
181 Craty|           vice. And if kakia is the name of this sort of thing, arete
182 Craty|        sorts, and hence he gave the name aeischoroun to that which
183 Craty|            you mean?~SOCRATES: This name appears to denote mind.~
184 Craty|            cause why anything has a name; is not the principle which
185 Craty|         principle which imposes the name the cause?~HERMOGENES: Certainly.~
186 Craty|        another way; he who gave the name intended to express the
187 Craty|          fault of the makers of the name, Hermogenes; not mine.~HERMOGENES:
188 Craty|       intention of the giver of the name? of which the reason is,
189 Craty|      Clearly.~SOCRATES: But now the name is so travestied that you
190 Craty|          becomes demiodes; and this name, as you will perceive, is
191 Craty|          this is the reason why the name pothos is applied to things
192 Craty|         enquire why the word onoma (name), which is the theme of
193 Craty|            our discussion, has this name of onoma.~SOCRATES: You
194 Craty|         motion; here is another ill name given by the legislator
195 Craty|             think.~SOCRATES: Then a name is a vocal imitation of
196 Craty|            cocks, or other animals, name that which they imitate.~
197 Craty|           sort of an imitation is a name?~SOCRATES: In the first
198 Craty|             saying that the correct name indicates the nature of
199 Craty|       indeed.~SOCRATES: Or that one name is better than another?~
200 Craty|              what do you say to the name of our friend Hermogenes,
201 Craty|            say that this is a wrong name, or not his name at all?~
202 Craty|            a wrong name, or not his name at all?~CRATYLUS: I should
203 Craty|          that Hermogenes is not his name at all, but only appears
204 Craty|           be his, and is really the name of somebody else, who has
205 Craty|            you would admit that the name is not the same with the
206 Craty|        further acknowledge that the name is an imitation of the thing?~
207 Craty|            giving and assigning the name which is unlike, I call
208 Craty|              and say, ‘This is your name’?— for the name, like the
209 Craty|             is your name’?— for the name, like the picture, is an
210 Craty|           say to him— ‘This is your name’? and may I not then bring
211 Craty|          image, or in other words a name; but if he subtracts or
212 Craty|          other letters to a certain name, then, if we add, or subtract,
213 Craty|           or misplace a letter, the name which is written is not
214 Craty|          cases becomes other than a name.~SOCRATES: But I doubt whether
215 Craty|           courage to admit that one name may be correctly and another
216 Craty|          and do not insist that the name shall be exactly the same
217 Craty|           no longer maintain that a name is the expression of a thing
218 Craty|             ask ourselves whether a name rightly imposed ought not
219 Craty|          cannot be satisfied that a name which is incorrectly given
220 Craty|           is incorrectly given is a name at all.~SOCRATES: Do you
221 Craty|            SOCRATES: Do you admit a name to be the representation
222 Craty|     SOCRATES: Very good: but if the name is to be like the thing,
223 Craty|            and the correctness of a name turns out to be convention,
224 Craty|          say, Cratylus, that as the name is, so also is the thing;
225 Craty|            of the things which they name?~CRATYLUS: Yes.~SOCRATES: