Kitap 7
4
But there is also another difficulty about them. If snub nose is the same as concave nose, snub will be the same as concave. But if not, since it is impossible to speak of snub apart from the thing of which it is a per se affection (because snub means a concavity in the nose), either it is impossible to call the nose snub, or it will be a tautology, concave-nose nose because snub nose will equal concave-nose nose.
5
Hence it is absurd that such terms as these should have an essence. Otherwise there will be an infinite regression; for in snub-nose nose there will be yet another nose. Clearly, then, there is definition of substance alone. If there were definition of the other categories also, it would have to involve an added determinant, as in the case of the qualitative; and of the odd, for this cannot be defined apart from number; nor can female apart from animal.
6
By involving an added determinant I mean descriptions which involve a tautology, as in the above examples. Now if this is true, there will be no definition of compound expressions either; e.g., odd number. We fail to realize this because our terms are not used accurately. If on the other hand there are definitions of these too, either they are defined in a different way, or, as we have said, definition and essence must be used in more than one sense;
