STEPHANUS ON "ON INTERPRETATION" [Aristotle page 16a1]

So, while the things themselves the objects and thoughts exist by nature, those others spoken and written words exist by convention. He goes through these points in the first part of the introduction. In the second part, as I mentioned, he provides a certain analogy a structural correspondence between spoken sounds and concepts: just as there is in the soul a
f. 36v simple concept original: "haploun noema" in which there is no truth or falsehood—such as | thinking of
5 Socrates without any accompanying action or being-acted-upon—there is also a composite concept, when one thinks of him as acting or undergoing something. In this case, truth or falsehood is somehow observed. Similarly, among spoken sounds, there is the simple word, in which truth or falsehood cannot be observed; but in composite speech, one or the other of these is always present. With these points, the second part of the introduction and the present
10 investigation original: "theoria" — a technical term for a philosophical lecture or contemplation are completed, with God’s help.

p. 16a1 First. Though "first" is used in five ways—as we have already learned by getting ahead in our study of the Categories—here "first" should be understood as referring either to time or to order. For in this way, a certain order is maintained by pre-defining those things about which he is going to discourse in the first section. It is also clear that the time
15 precedes—that is, the time in which he discourses on these things precedes the time in which he discourses on the others.

p. 16a1 To define. original: "thesthai" — literally "to set down" or "to position" It should be known that the word "position" original: "thesis," from which "to define" is derived is used in six ways:
1. It refers to the paradoxical opinion of someone famous in philosophy; as Heraclitus said that all existing things are in motion and share in no stillness;
20 or again, as Parmenides held that "Being" was one.
2. "Position" also refers to a hypothesis, as when we say, "let the earth be assumed to hold the position of a point and a center relative to the solar sphere."
3. "Position" also refers to an exposition, such as, "let a line be set out having such-and-such a length."
4. "Position" also refers to verbal adjectives of necessity original: "thetika epirrhemata" — literally 'thetic adverbs,' referring to words ending in -teon used by the rhetoricians, such as "one must marry" or "one must sail."
25 We mention rhetoricians because rhetorical statements differ from dialectical ones by being universal or particular. The dialectical philosopher speaks universally: "whether one must marry or go to war or sail," but the rhetorician asks: "whether this specific man should marry this specific woman."
5. "Position" also refers to an agreement. Indeed, we say "to retract" original: "anathesthai" — literally 'to un-position'
30 regarding someone who wrestles back an agreement, as Plato says in the Gorgias: "If you wish to retract, Callicles, then retract; for you are a just man." This means: "if you wish to wrestle back the agreement and the propositions, wrestle them back."
f. 37r

6. "Position" is also used for definitions; for these are called "positions" original: "theses" because they are laid down as the foundations for demonstrations. For example, one must first define a triangle, and after that, show what naturally belongs to the triangle—
35 namely, that it has angles equal to two right angles. And again, one must first define "man," and in this way know what naturally belongs to being human. Here, it is clear that he used "to define" original: "thesthai" in the sense of "to provide a definition," since...