cratylus   

rolling in his course (aei eilein ion) about the earth; or from
aiolein, of which meaning is the same as poikillein (to variegate),
because he variegates the productions of the earth.
Her. But what is selene (the moon)?
Soc. That name is rather unfortunate for Anaxagoras.
Her. How so?
Soc. The word seems to forestall his recent discovery, that the moon
receives her light from the sun.
Her. Why do you say so?
Soc. The two words selas (brightness) and phos (light) have much the
same meaning?
Her. Yes.
Soc. This light about the moon is always new (neon) and always old
(enon), if the disciples of Anaxagoras say truly. For the sun in his
revolution always adds new light, and there is the old light of the
previous month.
Her. Very true.
Soc. The moon is not unfrequently called selanaia.
Her. True.
Soc. And as she has a light which is always old and always new (enon
neon aei) she may very properly have the name selaenoneoaeia; and this
when hammered into shape becomes selanaia.
Her. A real dithyrambic sort of name that, Socrates. But what do you
say of the month and the stars?
Soc. Meis (month) is called from meiousthai (to lessen), because
suffering diminution; the name of astra (stars) seems to be derived
from astrape, which is an improvement on anastphope, signifying the
upsetting of the eyes (anastrephein opa).
Her. What do you say of pur (fire) and udor (water)?
Soc. I am at a loss how to explain pur; either the muse of Euthyphro
has deserted me, or there is some very great difficulty in the word.
Please, however, to note the contrivance which I adopt whenever I am
in a difficulty of this sort.
Her. What is it?
Soc. I will tell you; but I should like to know first whether you can
tell me what is the meaning of the pur?
Her. Indeed I cannot.
Soc. Shall I tell you what I suspect to be the true explanation of
this and several other words?- My belief is that they are of foreign
origin. For the Hellenes, especially those who were under the dominion
of the barbarians, often borrowed from them.
Her. What is the inference?
Soc. Why, you know that any one who seeks to demonstrate the fitness
of these names according to the Hellenic language, and not according
to the language from which the words are derived, is rather likely to
be at fault.
Her. Yes, certainly.
Soc. Well then, consider whether this pur is not foreign; for the word
is not easily brought into relation with the Hellenic tongue, and the
Phrygians may be observed to have the same word slightly changed, just
as they have udor (water) and kunes (dogs), and many other words.
Her. That is true.
Soc. Any violent interpretations of the words should be avoided; for
something to say about them may easily be found. And thus I get rid of
pur and udor. Aer (air), Hermogenes, may be explained as the element
which raises (airei) things from the earth, or as ever flowing (aei
pei), or because the flux of the air is wind, and the poets call the
winds "air-blasts," (aetai); he who uses the term may mean, so to
speak, air-flux (aetorroun), in the sense of wind-flux
(pneumatorroun); and because this moving wind may be expressed by
either term he employs the word air (aer = aetes rheo). Aither
(aether) I should interpret as aeitheer; this may be correctly said,
because this element is always running in a flux about the air (aei
thei peri tou aera ron). The meaning of the word ge (earth) comes out