[1]
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20.1
[1 OF all diction, however, the following are the parts; viz. the letter, the syllable, the conjunction, the noun, the verb, the article, the case, and the sentence. The
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letter, therefore, indeed, is an indivisible sound2;
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yet not every such sound,
20.2
but that from which an intelligible sound is adapted to be produced. For there are indivisible vocal sounds of brutes, no one of which
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I call a letter3. But the parts of this indivisible sound are, vowel, semi vowel,
20.3
and mute. And a vowel, indeed, is that which has an audible sound, without percussion 4; such as a and o. But a semivowel is that which has an audible sound, with percussion ; as s and r. And a mute is that which, even with the concurrence of the tongue, has of itself, indeed, no sound, but becomes audible in conjunction with things which have a certain sound;
20.4
as g and d.
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But these differ by the configurations of the mouth, in the parts [of the mouth 5] by density and tenuity of aspiration, by length and shortness; and further still, they differ by acuteness and gravity, and by the medium between both these; the theory respecting each of which pertains to the metrical art.
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20.5
But a syllable is a sound without signification, composed from a mute, and an element which has sound [i. e. from a vowel, or semivowel]. For g r without a is a syllable6, and also with a, as g r a.
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The study, however, of the differences of these, pertains also to the metrical art.
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But a conjunction is a sound void of signification, which neither impedes nor produces one significant sound adapted to be composed from many sounds, and which may be placed either at the beginning or the end of the period, unless something requires that it should be placed by itself at the beginning;
20.6
such as
μὲν, ἥτοι, δή. Or it is a sound without signification, composed from more sounds than one, but naturally adapted to produce one significant sound.
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20.7
An article is a sound without signification, which snows the beginning, or end, or distinction of a word 7; as
τὸ φημί, and
ὸro
περί, and others of the like kind. Or it is a sound without signification, which neither impedes nor produces one significant sound naturally adapted to be composed from many sounds, both in the extremes and in the middle.
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20.8
But a noun is a composite sound, significant without time, of which no part is of itself significant. For in double nouns, we do not use the parts as of themselves significant. Thus, in the word Theodorus, [though Theos signifies God and doron a gift,] yet doron signifies nothing.
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20.9
A verb is a composite sound, significant with time, 01 which no part is of itself significant, in the same manner also as in nouns. For man or white does not signify time; but he walks, or he did walk, signify, the former indeed the present, and the latter the past time.
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But case pertains to noun or verb. And one case, indeed, [in nouns] signifies that something is said of this thing, or is attributed to
this thing, and the like;
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but another is that which pertains to one thing or many things; as men, or man.
20.10
And another case pertains to acting9, such as what relates to interrogation or demand.
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For "did he walk" ?
20.11
Or walk is a case of a verb according to these species. And a sentence is a composite significant sound, of which certain parts of themselves signify something;
20.12
for not every sentence is composed from nouns and verbs,
(since the definition of man10 is a sentence without a verb,) but there may be a sentence without verbs. A sentence, however, will always have some part significant; as in the sentence Cleon walks, the word Cleon is significant.
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But a sentence is one in a twofold respect; for it is either that which signifies one thing, or that which becomes one from many by conjunction 11.
20.13
Thus the Iliad, indeed, is one by conjunction; but the definition of man is one, because it signifies one thing.]