[lit-ideas] Terence's Pun
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 17:09:00 -0400 (EDT)
In a message dated 3/30/2014 12:21:27 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
" ("Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto").>
>Terence was writing before we had Elton John
It may be argued that Terence is punning, as the English would say.
"Homo" and "humanus" are perhaps not cognate. They are almost homophonic
though.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=human&allowed_in_frame=0
has that 'human' is
"probably related"
to 'homo'.
---- For which, vide Popper -- on 'probably related' (implicating, 'but
probably not'). Or not.
Terence was possibly relying on the etymology known in his day ("Was that a
Thursday?", asks Geary).
If homo and human are NOT cognate (since they are only 'probably related')
a variant of Terence (or many of them) can be given:
"I am a ...; therefore I consider nothing that is ---- alien to me."
----
Cheers,
Speranza
"I am a human being, I consider nothing that is human alien to me."
homo:
Ann. v. 141 Vahl.: hŏmōnes, Naev. 1, 1), comm. root in humus, Gr. χαμαί;
cf. Germ. -gam in Bräutigam; O. H. Germ. gomo; Goth. guma; Old Engl. goom;
Engl. groom; cf. also Gr. ἐπιχθόνιοι; Hebr. Adam, a human being, man.
Etymology Online:
probably related to homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus) and to
humus "earth," on notion of "earthly beings," as opposed to the gods (cf.
Hebrew adam "man," from adamah "ground"). Cognate with Old Lithuanian zmuo
(accusative zmuni) "man, male person."
humanus
hūmānus (old form: HEMONA humana et HEMONEM hominem dicebant, Paul. ex
Fest. p. 100 Müll.; cf. homo
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