Poetics   

A Syllable is a nonsignificant sound, composed of a mute and a

vowel: for GR without A is a syllable, as also with A- GRA. But the

investigation of these differences belongs also to metrical science.

A Connecting Word is a nonsignificant sound, which neither causes

nor hinders the union of many sounds into one significant sound; it

may be placed at either end or in the middle of a sentence. Or, a

nonsignificant sound, which out of several sounds, each of them

significant, is capable of forming one significant sound- as amphi,

peri, and the like. Or, a nonsignificant sound, which marks the

beginning, end, or division of a sentence; such, however, that it

cannot correctly stand by itself at the beginning of a sentence- as

men, etoi, de.

A Noun is a composite significant sound, not marking time, of

which no part is in itself significant: for in double or compound

words we do not employ the separate parts as if each were in itself

significant. Thus in Theodorus, 'god-given,' the doron or 'gift' is

not in itself significant.

A Verb is a composite significant sound, marking time, in which,

as in the noun, no part is in itself significant. For 'man' or 'white'

does not express the idea of 'when'; but 'he walks' or 'he has walked'

does connote time, present or past.

Inflection belongs both to the noun and verb, and expresses either

the relation 'of,' 'to,' or the like; or that of number, whether one

or many, as 'man' or 'men'; or the modes or tones in actual

delivery, e.g., a question or a command. 'Did he go?' and 'go' are

verbal inflections of this kind.

A Sentence or Phrase is a composite significant sound, some at least

of whose parts are in themselves significant; for not every such group

of words consists of verbs and nouns- 'the definition of man,' for

example- but it may dispense even with the verb. Still it will

always have some significant part, as 'in walking,' or 'Cleon son of

Cleon.' A sentence or phrase may form a unity in two ways- either as