Глава XVI. О сказуемом синонимическом и омонимическом

The predicate is synonymous when the subject takes both the name and the definition of the name itself. For example, an animal speaks about a person, and the person accepts both the name and the definition of the animal. In fact, an animal is an animate, sentient substance, and man accepts this definition, for man is both an animate and sentient substance. A predicate is homonymous when the subject takes a name, but there is no definition. For example, an image of a person takes the name of a person, but does not accept the definition of a person. In fact, the definition of a person is this: a rational animal, mortal, capable of understanding and knowledge. On the contrary, the image is not an animal (for it is not animate), and not rational, and incapable of understanding and knowledge. It should be noted that everything that is synonymously expressed about any object as a subject will also be expressed about the object that serves as the subject in relation to the first. For example, animal is synonymously expressed as the subject of man, and man is spoken of Peter, for Peter is the subject of man. Therefore, the animal also speaks about Peter, since Peter is an animal. The subject is used in two senses: in the sense of the basis of existence and in the sense of the subject of the statement. In the sense of the basis of existence, substance, for example, lies under accidents: they have their being on it and do not exist apart from it. The subject of the statement is the less general, for the less general lies in the relation of being under the more general, when this more general is predicated on the less general. For example, an animal affects a person. They say about the general that it relates to the subject, and about the more specific that it is the subject in relation to rendering. In the same way, it is said about accident that it is in substance as a subject, and about substance that it is a subject, constituting the basis of existence. You might be interested in: