§11.1Διὰ τί τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐκ γενετῆς μάλιστα τὴν ἀκοὴν πηροῦνται;
Why is it that, of the senses, people are most mutilated in hearing from birth?
ἢ ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς εἶναι δόξειεν ἂν ἥ τε ἀκοὴ καὶ ἡ φωνή;
Is it because both hearing and voice would seem to be from the same origin?
ῥᾷστα δὲ δοκεῖ διαφθείρεσθαι ἡ διάλεκτος οὖσα εἶδος φωνῆς, καὶ χαλεπώτατα ἐπιτελεῖσθαι.
And speech, which is a species of voice, seems to be most easily corrupted, and to be brought to completion with the greatest difficulty.
σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι πολὺν χρόνον ἐνεοί ἐσμεν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον ὅλως οὐδὲ λαλοῦμεν οὐθέν, εἶτα ὀψέ ποτε ψελλίζομεν.
And a sign of this is that for a long time after birth we are mute; for at first we do not speak anything at all, and then later at some point we stammer.
διά τε τὸ τὴν διάλεκτον εὔφθαρτον εἶναι, τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ ἀρχὴν ἀμφοτέρων εἶναι καὶ τῆς διαλέκτου (φωνὴ γάρ τις καὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς ὥσπερ καὶ εἰ συμβεβηκότος), ῥᾷστα τῶν αἰσθήσεων φθείρεται, καὶ οὐ καθ’ αὑτὴν ἡ ἀκοή.
And because speech is easily corrupted, and the origin of both is the same, and of speech too (for speech is a kind of voice, and the origin of hearing too is as if by accident), hearing is corrupted most easily of the senses, and not on its own account.
τεκμήριον δὲ ἔστιν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων λαβεῖν, ὅτι παντελῶς εὔφθαρτός ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς διαλέκτου· λαλεῖ γὰρ οὐθὲν τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων πλὴν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ οὗτοι δὲ ὀψέ ποτε, καθάπερ εἴρηται.
And it is possible to get a proof of this from other animals too, that the origin of speech is completely easily corrupted; for none of the other animals speaks except man, and even they only late, as has been said.
§11.2Διὰ τί οἱ κωφοὶ πάντες διὰ τῶν ῥινῶν φθέγγονται;
Why do all deaf people speak through their noses?
ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἐνεοὺς εἶναι;
Is it because they are close to being mute?
οἱ δὲ ἐνεοὶ λαλοῦσι διὰ τῶν ῥινῶν· ταύτῃ γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐκπίπτει τὸ πνεῦμα διὰ τὸ τῷ στόματι μεμυκέναι.
And mute people speak through their noses; for in this way their breath escapes, because of having their mouth closed.
μεμύκασι δέ, ὅτι οὐθὲν εἰς φωνὴν χρῶνται τῇ γλώττῃ.
And they have it closed because they do not use the tongue at all for voice.
§11.3Διὰ τί μεγαλόφωνοι πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ θερμοὶ τὴν φύσιν;
Why are all those who are hot by nature loud-voiced?
ἢ ὅτι ἀνάγκη καὶ ἀέρα πολὺν καὶ ψυχρὸν ἐν τούτοις εἶναι;
Is it because it is necessary that much and cold air be in them?
ἕλκει γὰρ θερμὸν πνεῦμα πρὸς ἑαυτὸ καὶ ἀέρα, καὶ πλείω τὸ πλεῖον.
For heat draws breath and air to itself, and more heat draws more air.
ἡ δὲ μεγάλη φωνὴ γίνεται ἐν τῷ πολὺν ἀέρα κινεῖν, καὶ ὀξεῖα ἐν τῷ ταχέως· βαρεῖα δὲ ἡ ἐν τῷ βραδέως.
And does a loud voice occur in moving much air, and a high-pitched one in moving it quickly, while a low-pitched one in moving it slowly?
§11.4Διὰ τί οἱ κωφοὶ πάντες διὰ τῶν ῥινῶν φθέγγονται;
Why do all deaf people speak through their noses?
ἢ διὰ τὸ βιαιότερον πνεῖν τοὺς κωφούς;
Is it because deaf people breathe more violently?
ἐγγὺς γὰρ τοῦ ἐνεοὶ εἶναι εἰσίν.
For they are close to being mute.
διίσταται οὖν τῶν μυκτήρων ὁ πόρος ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος· οἱ τοιοῦτοι δὲ διὰ ῥινῶν φθέγγονται.
The passage of the nostrils is therefore forced open by the breath; and such people speak through their noses.
§11.5Διὰ τί εὐηκοώτερα τὰ τῆς νυκτός;
Why are things more easily heard at night?
ἢ ὅτι μᾶλλον ἠρεμία διὰ τὴν τοῦ θερμοτάτου ἀπουσίαν;
Is it because there is more stillness due to the absence of the hottest thing?
διὸ καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἀταρακτότερα. ὁ γὰρ ἥλιος ὁ κινῶν.
For this reason also they are for the most part calmer; for it is the sun that causes movement.
§11.6Διὰ τί πόρρωθεν αἱ φωναὶ ὀξύτεραι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι;
Why do voices from afar seem to be higher in pitch?
οἱ γοῦν μιμούμενοι τοὺς σφόδρα πόρρω ὄντας καὶ βοῶντας ὀξὺ φθέγγονται καὶ ὅμοιον τοῖς ἀπηχοῦσιν, καὶ τῆς ἠχοῦς ὀξύτερος φαίνεται ὁ ψόφος.
At any rate, those who imitate people who are very far off and shouting speak in a high pitch and similar to echoes, and the sound of the echo appears higher.
ἔστι δὲ πόρρω· ἀνακλᾶται γάρ.
And it is far off; for it is reflected.
οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ ὀξὺ μὲν ἐν ψόφῳ τὸ ταχύ, βαρὺ δὲ τὸ βραδύ, ἔδει βαρυτέρας πόρρωθεν φαίνεσθαι τὰς φωνάς.
Therefore, since in sound the swift is high-pitched and the slow is low-pitched, voices from afar ought to appear lower-pitched.
τὰ γὰρ αὖ φερόμενα πάντα βραδύτερον φέρεται ὅσῳ ἂν ἀπέχῃ τῆς ἀρχῆς πλεῖον, καὶ τέλος πίπτει.
For, on the other hand, all carried things travel more slowly the further they are from their starting point, and finally fall.
πότερ’ οὖν ὅτι οἱ μιμούμενοι ἀμενηνῇ τῇ φωνῇ μιμοῦνται, καὶ λεπτὴν τὴν πόρρωθεν φωνήν;
Is it then because those who imitate do so with a weak voice, and imitate the voice from afar as thin?
λεπτὴ δὲ βαρεῖα οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν καὶ ἀμενηνὸν φθέγγεσθαι βαρύ, ἀλλ’ ὀξὺ ἀνάγκη.
And a thin voice is not low-pitched, nor is it possible to speak in a low pitch when making a small and weak sound, but it is necessary to be high-pitched.
ἢ οὐ μόνον οἱ μιμούμενοι διὰ τοῦτο μιμοῦνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ψόφοι αὐτοὶ ὀξύτεροι γίνονται;
Or is it not only that those who imitate do so for this reason, but also the sounds themselves actually become higher-pitched?
αἴτιον δὲ ὅτι ὁ ἀὴρ ὁ φερόμενος ποιεῖ τὸν ψόφον· καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ πρῶτον ψοφεῖ τὸ κινῆσαν τὸν ἀέρα, οὕτω δεῖ πάλιν ποιῆσαι τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ ἄλλον κινοῦντα εἶναι, τὸν δὲ κινούμενον.
And the cause is that the air being carried makes the sound; and just as that which first moved the air makes a sound, so in turn the air must make it, and one air must be moving, and another being moved.
διὸ ὁ ψόφος συνεχής, ὅτι ἀεὶ ἐκδέχεται κινοῦντα κινῶν, ἕως ἂν ἀπομαρανθῇ, ὃ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἐστὶ τὸ πεσεῖν, ὅταν μηκέτι δύνηται ὠθεῖν ὁ ἀὴρ ἔνθα μὲν τὸ βέλος, ἔνθα δὲ τὸν ἀέρα.
Therefore the sound is continuous, because the moving air always succeeds the mover, until it dies away—which in the case of physical bodies is falling—when the air can no longer push, in the one case the missile, and in the other case the air.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ φωνὴ γίνεται ἡ συνεχὴς ἀέρος ὠθουμένου ὑπ’ ἀέρος, τὸ δὲ βέλος φέρεται σώματος ὑπ’ ἀέρος κινουμένου.
For the continuous voice occurs by air being pushed by air, whereas the missile is carried as a body moved by air.
ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν ἀεὶ τὸ αὐτὸ φέρεται σῶμα, ἕως ἂν καταπέσῃ, ἐκεῖ δὲ ἀεὶ ἕτερος ἀήρ.
In the latter case, indeed, the same body is always carried until it falls down, but in the former case it is always different air.
καὶ πρῶτον ἐλάττω θᾶττον μὲν κινεῖται, ἐπ’ ὀλίγον δέ.
And at first, a smaller amount of air is moved more quickly, but only for a short distance.
διὸ πόρρω ὀξύτεραι καὶ λεπτότεραι αἱ φωναί.
Therefore, from afar, voices are higher-pitched and thinner.
τὸ γὰρ θᾶττον ὀξύ, ὥσπερ καὶ διηπόρηται.
For the quicker is high-pitched, just as was also raised as a problem.
ὥσπερ ἡ αὐτὴ αἰτία δι’ ἣν καὶ οἱ μὲν παῖδες καὶ οἱ κάμνοντες ὀξὺ ὀξὺ φθέγγονται. οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες καὶ οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες βαρύ.
Just as this is the same cause for which both children and the sick speak with a high pitch, whereas men and the healthy speak with a low pitch.
τὸ δὲ τοῖς ἐγγὺς μὴ ἐπίδηλον εἶναι τὴν φωνὴν ἢ βαρυτέραν ἢ ὀξυτέραν γινομένην, καὶ ὅλως 〈τοῦ〉 μὴ ὁμοίως ἔχειν τοῖς ῥιπτουμένοις βάρεσιν, αἴτιον ὅτι τὸ μὲν ῥιφθὲν ἓν φέρεται ἀεὶ τὸ αὐτό, ὁ δὲ ψόφος ἀήρ ἐστιν ὠθούμενος ὑπὸ ἀέρος.
And as for the fact that to those nearby it is not obvious that the voice becomes deeper or higher, and in general that it does not behave like thrown weights, the cause is that the thrown object is always carried as one and the same thing, whereas sound is air being pushed by air.
διὸ καὶ τὸ μὲν εἰς ἓν πίπτει, ἡ δὲ φωνὴ πανταχῇ, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ τὸ ῥιφθὲν ἅμα φερόμενον ἀπείρως θρυφθείη, καὶ ἔτι εἰς τοὔπισθεν.
For this reason, too, the former falls in one place, while the voice is dispersed everywhere, just as if the thrown object, while being carried, were simultaneously shattered into infinite pieces, and even backward.