Παραγραμματισμός
letter-changing, punning
Translated by David Whitehead28 Apr 2006Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
[This happens] when one letter replaces another, e.g. bursi/nh ["leather"] instead of mursi/nh ["myrtle"], [i.e.] b instead of m; as Aristophanes used b instead of m. For [where] it was necessary to say mursi/nh , he has said bursi/nh ; for they keep off flies with [fans of] myrtle. But [Aristophanes] made a joke because of [Kleon being] a tanner. And the generals used to be crowned with myrtle. Or [= see also] when he says from Klopidai instead of Kekropidai, l instead of r.1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Παραγραμματισμός· ὅταν γράμμα ἀντὶ γράμματος τεθῇ· οἷον ἀντὶ τοῦ μυρσίνη βυρσίνη, β ἀντὶ τοῦ μ· ὡς Ἀριστοφάνης ἀντὶ τοῦ μ τῷ β ἐχρήσατο. δέον γὰρ εἰπεῖν μυρσίνη, βυρσίνη εἴρηκε· ταῖς γὰρ μυρσίναις ἀποσοβοῦσι τὰς μυίας. ὁ δὲ ἔπαιξε διὰ τὸν βυρσοδέψην. καὶ μυρσίνῃ ἐστεφανοῦντο οἱ στρατηγοί. ἢ ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, ἐγ Κλωπιδῶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ Κεκροπιδῶν, λ ἀντὶ τοῦ ρ.
Betacode
*paragrammatismo/s: o(/tan gra/mma a)nti\ gra/mmatos teqh=|: oi(=on a)nti\ tou= mursi/nh bursi/nh, b a)nti\ tou= m: w(s *)aristofa/nhs a)nti\ tou= m tw=| b e)xrh/sato. de/on ga\r ei)pei=n mursi/nh, bursi/nh ei)/rhke: tai=s ga\r mursi/nais a)posobou=si ta\s mui/as. o( de\ e)/paice dia\ to\n bursode/yhn. kai\ mursi/nh| e)stefanou=nto oi( strathgoi/. h)\ w(s o(/tan le/gh|, e)g *klwpidw=n, a)nti\ tou= *kekropidw=n, l a)nti\ tou= r.
Notes (1)
- See already pi 316. The present material comes from the scholia to Aristophanes, Knights 59, where this substitution occurs. The later reference is to line 79 of the same play; see note below.
- 1Klopidai ("Thief-town"; cf. under kappa 1835) is certainly such a pun, but on the deme-name Kropidai (no Suda entry but see Stephanus of Byzantium s.v. Kropia); not on Kekropidai, which would mean the Athenians as a whole (kappa 1271). ↩
Linked from2 entries
- π316Παραγραμματίζωνpunning[Meaning something] which is said alliteratively. "Timon punning him thus: 'as Plato plaited portentous platitudes'." [Another] example is 'Pausanias paused', and 'Samian single ship'.
- σ724Σκυτοδέψηςleather-tanner[Skutodepsês "leather-tanner"] [is] Attic, but bursodepsês ["hide-tanner"] Asianic.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 15 Aug 2013
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- augmented n.1 — David Whitehead
- typo, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead