The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

position, and are not derived from another word, as
‘mountain,’ ‘fount.’ 8. Derivative (derivativus) nouns,
because they are derived from another noun, as ‘mountainous
region’ (montanus) from ‘mountain’ (mons). 9.
Diminutive (diminutivus)nouns, because they diminish
the meaning, as ‘Greekling’ (Graeculus), ‘little scholar’
(scholasticulus). 10. Some nouns are called ‘diminutive
in sound’ (sono diminutivus), because they sound like
diminutive nouns, but are conceptually primary nouns,
as ‘table’ (tabula), ‘fable’ (fabula). 11. ‘Entirely Greek’
(totus Graecus)nouns, because they are declined entirely
in the Greek manner, as Callisto – for both Greek and
Latin decline it in the same way. 12. ‘Entirely Latin’
(totus Latinus) nouns, because they are turned entirely
into Latin. Greek has ‘Odysseus,’ and Latin ‘Ulysses.’
13.Medial(medius)nounsaresocalledbecause they are
partly Greek and partly Latin. These are also called ‘mongrel’
(nothus), because they corrupt the final syllables
while the previous syllables stay the same, as in Greek,
for example, ‘Alexandros,’ ‘Menandros,’ while we (Latin
speakers) have ‘Alexander,’ ‘Menander.’ They are called
‘mongrel’ inasmuch as whoever is begotten of unequal
classes is called ‘mongrel.’ 14.Synonymous(synonymus)
nouns, that is, plurinomial (plurinomius), because there
is a single meaning shared by ‘many nouns’ (plura nomina),
as terra, humus,andtellus (i.e. all meaning “earth”).
Indeed, these are all the same thing. 15. Homonymous
(homonymus) nouns, that is uninomial (uninomius),
because there is a multiple meaning in one (unus)noun,
as tumulus,whichisinonecontext a low hill, in another
context rising (tumere) ground, and in another context
agrave-mound – for there are diverse meanings in the
one noun. 16. Therelational (relativus) nouns are so
called because they are defined in relation to another
person, as ‘teacher,’ ‘master,’ ‘father.’ 17. Wordsdefined
as somehow related to something by way of their opposition
of meaning are also called relational, as ‘right’ –
for ‘right’ cannot be defined unless there is ‘left.’ 18.
Next, the qualitative (qualitas) adjectives are so called
9 The form contemplator is ambiguous, being either the future
imperative of the deponent verb contemplor (“observe”) or the agent
noun (i.e. ‘observer’) formed from the same verb. Isidore here uses
a formal criterion to define a noun: its taking the case endings of a
declension, as the genitive of contemplator, for example, is contemplatoris.
Apparently by mistake he actually refers to a noun’s taking
the comparative degree, a property of adjectives only, where he must
mean taking case endings.
The Etymologies I.vii.8–vii.28 43
because through them some quality is shown, as ‘wise,’
‘beautiful,’ ‘rich.’ 19. Quantitative (quantitas)adjectives
are so called because they are defined by measure, as
‘long,’ ‘short.’ 20. Patronymics (patronymicus) areso
called because they are derived from fathers (pater),
as ‘Tydides,’ son of Tydeus, ‘Aeneius,’ son of Aeneas,
although they may also be derived from mothers and
from more remote ancestors. 21.‘Ctetic’ (cteticus)adjectives,
that is possessive, from possession, as the ‘Evandrian’
sword. 22.Epithets (epitheton), which in Latin are
called either adjectives (adiectivus)oradditions, because
they are ‘added to’ (adicere,ppl. adiectus)nouns to complete
the meaning, as ‘great,’ ‘learned.’ You may add them
to persons, as ‘a great philosopher,’ ‘a learned man,’
and the sense is complete. 23. Agent(actualis) nouns
derive from the action (actus), as ‘leader,’ ‘king,’ ‘runner,’
‘nurse,’ ‘orator.’ Ethnic (gens) adjectivescomefromthe
ethnic group (gens), as ‘Greek,’ ‘Roman.’ 24. Adjectives
of nationality (patrius)comefromanativeland(patria),
as ‘Athenian,’ ‘Theban.’ Local (locus)adjectives from the
place (locus), as ‘suburban.’ 25. Verbal (verbialis) nouns
are so called because they come from the verb, as ‘reader’
(lector,fromlegere,ppl. lectus,“read”). Participials (participalis),
which have the same form as participles, as
‘the reading one’ (legens). 26. Quasi-verbal (verbis similis)nouns,
so called from their similarity to the verb, as
contemplator –forthiswordisbothaverbintheimperative
mood, future tense, and a noun, because it takes the
comparative degree. 9 All these types of appellative nouns
come from the ‘naming quality’ (appellatio)ofnouns.
27. Asecond division is the comparison of adjectives.
‘Comparison’ (comparatio) issocalled because it
prefers one thing in comparison with another. There are
three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and
superlative. ‘Positive’ (positivus)issocalled because it is
placed (ponere, ppl. positus) firstinthedegreesofcomparison,
as ‘learned’ (doctus). ‘Comparative’ (comparativus)
issonamed because when compared (comparatus)
with the positive it surpasses it, as ‘more learned’
(doctior) –forheknows more than someone who is
merely learned. ‘Superlative’ (superlativus) issocalled
because it completely surpasses (superferre, ppl.superlatus)
the comparative, as ‘most learned’ (doctissimus),
for he knows more than someone who is merely doctior.
28. ‘Gendered nouns’ (genus) are so called because
they generate (generare), as masculine and feminine.
Other nouns are not gendered, but analogy and tradition