OF ANDREA ALPAGO OF BELLUNO

On the meaning of Arabic names.

After I, Andrea Alpago of Belluno, physician, had published corrections on the books of Avicenna which he wrote concerning medicine—that is, the five books of the Canon, the sixth on cordial medicines, and the cantica songs/didactic poems taken from the original Arabic—noting that because of the ignorance of the names of simple medicines, and also of other Arabic terms, the most excellent philosophers and physicians had labored much and that various and erroneous expositions had been commented upon in the aforementioned books, I decided, for the honor of God and for the common utility of men, to interpret to the best of my ability all the Arabic terms found in these seven volumes, according to the opinion of Ebenbitar, Ebenfis, Sirasi, Benagi albian, and other Arabic expositors, following the order of the alphabet. Having therefore implored Divine aid, I will first note some things concerning the title of the Book of the Canon, declaring the name and homeland of the author. The title of the book in Arabic lies thus: The Book of the Canon in Medicine, which the most wise prince and philosopher Abuhali, Alhasen: Ebenhali, Ebensina composed. Concerning this title, it must be known that the Arabs call a certain man, if he has begotten sons, by naming him first the father of his firstborn, specifying the name of the firstborn, then they add his own name, specifying whose son he is, up to the name of his grandfather. The name of Avicenna was Hasen, whose father was named Hali, which Hali was the son of Sina, and Avicenna also had a son named Hali. Avicenna therefore was named by the Arabs in this order: Alraijs Abuhali, Alhasen, Ebenhali, Ebensina: the interpretation of which words is: Prince, father of Hali, Alhasen, son of Hali, son of Sina. And the custom of the Arabs is indeed to name someone insofar as he is a father by naming his firstborn; and thus Mesue and others name Avicenna Abuhali, that is, father of Hali; sometimes they name him insofar as he is a descendant from his father, and thus he is called Ebenhali; sometimes insofar as he is a descendant from his grandfather, and thus he is called Ebensina, and by a corrupted word he is called Avicenna. It must be further considered that that term Alraijs, written with a double letter 'i', implies in Arabic a primary position in the degree of dignity and honor, and written with a simple 'i', it denotes anyone presiding and principal in any art, and in the government of a ship, a town, and similar things. Avicenna, however, was called Alraijs, that is, prince or primary in dignity and honor, not only because he was most excellent in all sciences, but also because he was the Vzir Vizier of the King of Persia, that is, the primary and most honorable secretary of the King of Persia. It must be noted besides that Avicenna was not a Spaniard, as some write of him, rather he was a Persian from the city called Bochara, as appears in the Arabic history concerning the lives of the philosophers and the Arab and Greek physicians, translated by me from the Arabic language into Latin. Which can also be gathered from the second sen fen/chapter, of the first Canon, chapter three, concerning the natures of the seasons, and from the second Canon, chapter concerning teresniabin manna, and in many other places. It must be known further that canon, according to the Arabic expositors, is a Greek word, or according to others it is a Syriac word, and the Arabs use it, and the intent among them through this name 'canon' is the same as the Arabic Almestara, which is an instrument and a board lined directly with threads attached, with which writers line pages so that they are directed in writing correctly. And this name 'canon' is transferred to the universal, as it is known that this, or that, or that health is preserved by its similar from the knowledge of this universal, namely: all health is preserved by its similar. And judgments and universal sentiments are indeed not called 'canons' except because the consideration of them prevents anyone from diverting from the straight path. Lastly, it is to be noted that the particle 'al' is a certain article which among the Arabs is sometimes placed before names according to the requirement of the place, but it never varies the meaning of the name to which it is added. And therefore, if at any time in our expositions we have explained any name to which that article is added, we will by no means explain that name again found without that article: for example, if we have explained Albachan under the letter 'A', if we later find Bachan, we will not explain this under the letter 'B'; but we will refer the reader to the exposition of Albachan, i.e., under the letter 'A', since Bachan and Albachan are the same. And if sometimes in the reading of the Prince Avicenna some name is found beginning with 'al', for example Alchalef, and we have not placed an exposition under the letter 'A', the reader will need to look under the letter 'C', namely Chalef; for there its exposition will be found: and this we have done so that a useless repetition is not made, since Chalef and Alchalef are the same: and so in similar cases. And if in some matters this order of ours is not observed, know that we have done it intentionally, so that whatever name, both with the 'al' added and without it, might be better manifested to signify exactly the same thing, as we said above.