Aristotle Complete Works

by Aristotle

Things are said to be named ‘equivocally’ when, though they have a common name, the definition corresponding with the name differs for each.

Alternate denotations. Definitions with uncommon definiendum. Words with distinct meaning and exactly corresponding names. A definition is given by “definiens: definiendum”, id est (The thing to be defined) and (The thing that does the defining). Equivocal terms are said to be synonymous.

On the other hand, things are said to be named ‘univocally’ which have both the name and the definition answering to the name in common.

Things are said to be named ‘derivatively’, which derive their name from some other name, but differ from it in termination.

Here ‘termination’ refers to the manner in which a derivative word differs with that from which it is derived from by way of the suffix. Derivative terms share etymon or have a similar lexical root.

Forms of speech are either simple or composite.