ON INTERPRETATION. 19

Diosc. lib. 6. c. 34.

On the definition of the noun.

to onoma the name signifies nothing by itself, and if you make it signify, it will signify something other than eidōlothyton. Thus, in the word marsippos pouch, hippos signifies nothing. These things regarding the definition of the noun.

There are two species of nouns: for one is the finite noun, the other the infinite. A finite noun is, such as animal, man, plant: an infinite is, such as not-animal, not-man, not-plant, thus ho laos mou my people, ouk ēgapēmenē not beloved. Such nouns are called infinite and aorista indefinite, because these nouns are attributed to all other things, except for those about which the finite opposite nouns are spoken. Furthermore, aorista nouns are spoken of those things which are not. Thus, not-man is said of all those things about which the finite noun man is not said: thus, wood is not-animal: thus, an idol is not God in the world: hoti ouden eidōlon en kosmō that an idol is nothing in the world, and hoti oudeis theos heteros ei mē heis and that there is no other God except one. Baal is not God.

By finite nouns and verbs, ontōs onta things truly existing, or Finite auto onta beings in themselves are signified. By infinite ones, however, are signified not the contraries tois ontōs ousi to the things truly existing, but hetera others or different things, that is ontōs mē onta things truly not existing: and indeed mē onta, because of the tēn thatera physin the other nature mixed sincerely with the essences of things: ontōs indeed because of their own essence. All things are as if mixed and confused by diverse essences of forms and accidents. For example, in man there are many things which are not-man, with which he participates as with different things. man is not his quantity, is not that by which he is related, not his quality, not his energeia activity/actuality, not