Speech and utterance

From the book

Lysis

Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Word

ῥῆμα

rhēma

Rhēma means word; an expression in speech.

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordRhēma means word; an expression in speech.
In LysisAt 220b the dative ῥήματι qualifies calling secondary things friends: apparently the speakers call them so “in word.”
Reading contextThe edition notes that the wording immediately before ῥήματι depends on an editorial correction; its printed text supports the contrast between another friend and the thing finally valued.
A place to readThe Greek example means “We appear to say it in word.”

English renderings: Word; an expression in speech

Meaning

Word; an expression in speech.

Grammatical category: neuter noun.

Use in the book

At 220b the dative ῥήματι qualifies calling secondary things friends: apparently the speakers call them so “in word.” This is contrasted with φίλον τῷ ὄντι, what is really a friend.

The contrast concerns the status of the designation in this particular argument, not a general rejection of language. The edition notes that the wording immediately before ῥήματι depends on an editorial correction; its printed text supports the contrast between another friend and the thing finally valued.

Places to read

220bῥήματι φαινόμεθα λέγοντες αὐτό — We appear to say it in word.
220a–b

From the book

Stobaeus, Volume I

John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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ῥῆμα

rhēma

Rhēma can mean a word or something said.

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordRhēma can mean a word or something said.
In StobaeusThe report about Pythagoras says that he first called philosophy by this word.
In this edition“Word” conveys the immediate sense; “utterance” is useful where a complete saying is meant.
A place to beginThe name philosophy is attributed to Pythagoras as an introduced expression.

English renderings: word; utterance; expression

Meaning

Rhēma can mean a word or something said. It does not always carry the narrower grammatical meaning “verb.”

Use in the book

The report about Pythagoras says that he first called philosophy by this word. Rhēma therefore refers to a designation and its alleged introduction. The passage preserves a tradition about the naming of philosophy rather than supplying direct evidence from Pythagoras’s own writings.

Places to read

I.10.12.10The name philosophy is attributed to Pythagoras as an introduced expression.

Translation in this edition

“Word” conveys the immediate sense; “utterance” is useful where a complete saying is meant.

Source note

Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 124–125. Claims that a thinker first coined a term belong to the transmitted biographical tradition and should be attributed accordingly.