Ὅπερ
what precisely [is]
Translated by Marcelo Boeri10 Jul 2003Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
Properly speaking this [expression] 'what precisely is' is indicative of what is in the strict sense; and if [the expression 'what precisely is']1 is added to something else, it means 'being that in the strict sense'. For instance, what precisely/essentially [is] a man [means] a man in the strict sense; and 'what precisely is' [means what is in the strict sense] and 'what precisely is good' [means] what is good in the strict sense.2 And indeed, among the things that are predicated of another thing, if [the expression] 'what precisely [is]' is added to something else, [that] means that it is predicated of that in a strict sense; and [it means] that in a strict sense the substance [?] is in that and is that.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ὅπερ· τοῦτο τὸ ὅπερ τοῦ κυρίως ἐστὶ δηλωτικόν, καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν προστεθῇ, τὸ κυρίως ἐκεῖνο εἶναι σημαίνει· οἷον ὅπερ ἄνθρωπος, ὁ κυρίως ἄνθρωπος· καὶ ὅπερ ὂν καὶ ὅπερ ἀγαθὸν τὸ κυρίως, ἀγαθόν. καὶ τῶν κατηγορουμένων δὴ κατ' ἄλλου, ᾧ ἂν τὸ ὅπερ προστεθῇ, κυρίως ἐκείνου κατηγορεῖσθαι σημαίνει. καὶ τὸ εἶναι τὸ ὑποκείμενον κυρίως ἐν τούτῳ τε καὶ τοῦτο.
Betacode
*(/oper: tou=to to\ o(/per tou= kuri/ws e)sti\ dhlwtiko/n, kai\ w(=| e)a\n prosteqh=|, to\ kuri/ws e)kei=no ei)=nai shmai/nei: oi(=on o(/per a)/nqrwpos, o( kuri/ws a)/nqrwpos: kai\ o(/per o)\n kai\ o(/per a)gaqo\n to\ kuri/ws, a)gaqo/n. kai\ tw=n kathgoroume/nwn dh\ kat' a)/llou, w(=| a)\n to\ o(/per prosteqh=|, kuri/ws e)kei/nou kathgorei=sqai shmai/nei. kai\ to\ ei)=nai to\ u(pokei/menon kuri/ws e)n tou/tw| te kai\ tou=to.
Notes (2)
- This entry is taken (with some important variations) from Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentaries on Aristotle's Topica 227.7-12. Alexander is commenting here on Topica 116a23ff., where it is argued that 'what precisely (or essentially) is' is more desirable than what does not come within the genus; for instance, justice is more desirable than a just man, or a white man is not precisely what color is (Topica 116a26-27).
- 1The expression
o(/per , which clarifies the text, appears in Alexander 227.7-8, and reappears below in this entry. ↩ - 2The Suda omits some words, obscuring the sense. The reading given by Wallies (the editor of Alexander's treatise: Berlin, 1891) is:
o(/per o)/n to\ kuri/ws o)/n. o(/per a)gaqo\n to\ kuri/ws a)gaqo/n . ↩
Neighbouring entries
ο444Ὁ Παφλαγὼν οὑτοσὶ προσέρχεται ὠθῶν κολόκυμα καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶνthis here Paphlagonian approaches shoving a big wave and stirring things up and confusing thingsο445Ὁ παῖς τὸν κρύσταλλονthe boy [and] the iceο446Ὅπερwhat precisely [is]ο447Ὅπηby what way, in what direction, howο448Ὁπηνίκαat whatever moment, at what point of time
Revision history6 revisions · last 25 Jan 2021
- tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
- codings — David Whitehead
- more adjustments — David Whitehead
- tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
- cosmetics — Catharine Roth
- cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Marcelo Boeri