According to grammarians[1] [an event is] a proposition [composed] out of a noun and a verb, [one] producing a self-complete thought; for example, "John is walking around." By contrast, a quasi-event [parasu/mbama] [is] a proposition [composed] out of a noun and a verb, [one] not producing a self-complete thought; for example, "John cares for." For he who has asserted "John is walking around" did not need anything else; but having said "John cares for", he omitted to say for whom/what.
*su/mbama: kata\ grammatikou\s pro/tasis e)c o)no/matos kai\ r(h/matos, au)totelh= dia/noian a)parti/zousa: oi(=on, *)iwa/nnhs peripatei=. parasu/mbama de\ pro/tasis e)c o)no/matos kai\ r(h/matos, ou)k au)totelh= dia/noian a)parti/zousa: oi(=on *)iwa/nnh| me/lei. fh/sas ga\r *)iwa/nnhs peripatei=, ou)deno\s e(te/rou e)/xrh|zen, ei)pw\n de\ *)iwa/nnh| me/lei, peri\ ti/nos pare/leiyen ei)pei=n.
This Suda entry reminds us of
Diogenes Laertius 7.64 (SVF 2.183), where in the context of a Stoic doxography
sumba/mata are said to be included among predicates. Actually they are predicates that can be exemplified by intransitive verbs, such as 'to sail through the rocks'. The issue is also treated in more detail by
Porphyry (who recalls Stoic doctrines), quoted by
Ammonius (
In Aristotelis de interpretatione 44.18-45.7, included in SVF 2.184, where it is said that
kathgo/rhma and
su/mbama mean the same; 44.24-25). The Byzantine philosopher
Stephanus (7th century CE) also discussed this matter in his commentary on
Aristotle's
De Interpretatione.
Stephanus' passage is very helpful, insofar as it explains in what sense an 'event' can be related to a 'predicate': 'what is predicated of something is predicated either of a noun (
o)/noma) straightforwardly or of a case (
ptw=sis). If it is [predicated] of a noun, it yields either a self-complete assertion or a non self-complete [assertion]; and if [it yields] a self-complete assertion, they call it 'predicate' or 'event', for among them [sc. the Stoics] it is the same and it is clearly the cause. In fact, they say 'predicate' because it is asserted, or it is said and predicated of a subject. But [they say] 'event' (
su/mbama) because walking happened (
sune/bh) to Socrates. But if it does not yield a self-complete assertion, it is called 'quasi-predicate' or 'quasi-event', such as 'Socrates loves'" (
Stephanus,
In Int. 11, 9-17, ed. Hayduck; my translation). For other details and bibliography on this issue, see note 1 at
rho 131.
[1] See for instance, in brief,
Anonymi in Hermogenem,
Prolegomena in librum peri stasewn 14.328.22ff Rabe. (This entire Suda entry, however, is not paralleled in anything extant.)
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