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H. is at his weakest as a linguist (cf. explanation of royal names, vi. 98. 3 n.); yet he seems to have valued himself on this score. He makes two remarks on Persian names, which are both inaccurate:

(1) That they all have a certain meaning. σῶμα is variously taken (a) by Stein, in a general sense, ‘individuals (32. 8) and their honourable nature’; (b) by Macaulay, ‘their bodily shape’ (which is simpler). Whichever sense be given, H. is too absolute; nor is he consistent; cf. vi. 98. Some Persian names referred to deities (cf. Mithradates, ‘given by Mithra’); others to personal appearance (Otanes, ‘fair of body’); others (e.g. Darius, ‘possessor’) to position, &c.

(2) That all names end in S. This, in the first place, ignores all feminine names. Even of men's names, it is only true of the Greek forms; in Persian, s (sh) was retained after i or u, e.g. Darayavaush = Darius, but not otherwise, e.g. Vistâçha (Hystaspes), where, however, the final a was not written.

For the interesting statement as to the Greek alphabet cf. Roberts, Gk. Epig. p. 8 seq. The Phoenicians had four signs for sibilants, each of which was borrowed in part by Greece:

(1) The hard Samech (No. 15 in the Phoenician alphabet; sign <*>), probably = ‘Sigma’. Others, however, make ‘σίγμα’ (‘the hissing letter’) a genuine Greek word (from σίζω).

(2) The lingual Tsade (No. 18; sign <*>).

(3) The palatal Shin (No. 21; sign <*>).

(4) There was also the soft Zazin (No. 7; sign <*>).

Of these the name Tsade survives in Zeta, while ‘Samech’ was transferred to the place of ‘Shin’. The sign of Samech and its place in the alphabet after ‘N’, were left to the later Xi.

For ‘San’ cf. Pind. fr. 79. H. probably means by ‘San’ the M of the old Dorian inscriptions, while his ‘Sigma’ is the <*> of the older Ionic ones.

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