[Syriac](noono), which means fish in Chaldee and Arabic, as well as in Syriac; and corresponds to the Hebrew word דַג, (dag), fish, in Jonah i. 17., ii. 1., 10. The Greek of Matthew xii. 40., instead of ἰχθὺς, has κῆτος, a whale. The Septuagint has the same word κῆτος for (1) dag in Jonah, as well as for (2) leviathan in Job iii. 8., and for (3) tanninim in Genesis i. 21. The error appears to be in the Septuagint of Jonah, where the particular fish, the whale, is mentioned instead of the general term fish. Possibly the disciples of Christ knew that the fish was a κῆτος, and the habits of such of them as were fishermen might have familiarised them with its description or form. It is certain that the κῆτος of Aristotle, and cetus of Pliny, was one of the genus Cetacea, without gills, but with blow-holes communicating with the lungs. The disciples may also have heard the mythological story of Hercules being three days in the belly of the κῆτος, the word used by Æneas Gazæus, although Lycophron describes the animal as a shark, κάρχαρος κύων.
"Τριεσπέρου λέοντος, ὅν ποτε γνάθοις
Τρίτωνος ἠμάλαψε κάρχαρος κύων."
The remarkable event recorded of Jonah occurred just about 300 years before Lycophron wrote; who, having doubtless heard the true story, thought it right to attribute it to Hercules, to whom all other marvellous feats of power, strength, and dexterity were appropriated by the mythologists.
T. J. BUCKTON.
Lichfield.
ST. TRUNNIAN.
(Vol. iii., pp. 187. 252.)
Your "NOTES AND QUERIES" form the best specimen of a Conversations-Lexicon that I have yet met with; and I regret that it was not in existence some years ago, having long felt the want of some such special and ready medium of communication.
In the old enclosures to the west of the town of Barton we had a spring of clear water called St. Trunnian's Spring; and in our open field we had an old thorn tree called St. Trunnian's Tree,—names that imply a familiar acquaintance with St. Trunnian here; but I have no indication to show who St. Trunnian was. I am happy, however, to find that your indefatigable correspondent DR. RIMBAULT, like myself, has had his attention called to the same unsatisfied Query.