Chapter 16

Predication is univocal when the subject admits of both the name and the definition of the name itself. For instance, the animal is predicated of man and admits of both the name and the definition of the animal, because an animal is an animate sentient substance and man admits of this definition. For man is an animate and sentient substance.

On the other hand, predication is equivocal when the subject admits indeed of the name, but not at all of the definition. For instance, the picture of a man admits of the name of the man, but it does not admit of the definition of man. For man is defined as a rational animal which is mortal and which is capable of understanding and knowing. The picture, however, is neither an animal (for it is not animate), nor is it rational or capable of understanding and knowing.

One should know that whatever is predicated of something as of a subject, predicated univocally, that is, will also be predicated of that which comes under it. For example, the animal is predicated of man as of a subject, that is to say, univocally. Man, in turn, is predicated of Peter, for Peter comes under man. Therefore, the animal is also predicated of Peter, because Peter is also an animal.

{Περὶ συνωνύμου καὶ ὁμωνύμου κατηγορίας.} Συνώνυμος μὲν κατηγορία ἐστίν, ὅτε καὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸν ὅρον αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὀνόματος δέχεται τὸ ὑποκείμενον, οἷον τὸ ζῷον κατηγορεῖται τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ δέχεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸν ὅρον τοῦ ζῴου: ζῷον γάρ ἐστιν οὐσία ἔμψυχος αἰσθητική. Καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος δὲ ἐπιδέχεται τὸν ὅρον τοῦτον: καὶ οὐσία γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἔμψυχος καὶ αἰσθητικός. Ὁμώνυμος δέ ἐστι κατηγορία, ὅτε τὸ μὲν ὄνομα δέχεται, τὸν δὲ ὅρον οὐδαμῶς, οἷον ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ μὲν ὄνομα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δέχεται, τὸν δὲ ὅρον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐ δέχεται: ὁ γὰρ ὅρος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζῷον λογικόν, θνητόν, νοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμης δεκτικόν. Ἡ δὲ εἰκὼν οὔτε ζῷόν ἐστιν: οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἔμψυχος οὔτε λογικὸν οὔτε νοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμης δεκτικόν. Χρὴ γινώσκειν, ὅτι, ὅσα κατηγορεῖται κατά τινος καθ' ὑποκειμένου ἤγουν συνωνύμως, καὶ τοῦ ὑποκειμένου αὐτῷ κατηγορηθήσεται, οἷον τὸ ζῷον ὡς καθ' ὑποκειμένου κατηγορεῖται τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἤγουν συνωνύμως καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Πέτρου: ὑκόκειται γὰρ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὁ Πέτρος. Κατηγορεῖται οὖν καὶ τοῦ Πέτρου τὸ ζῷον: καὶ ὁ Πέτρος γὰρ ζῷόν ἐστι.