ABSTRACT
The enigmatic entry psAavia (“blackness”) on a no less enigmatic Greek papyrus published twenty years ago has vexed editors and commentators who have translated it variously: Geraci in the editio princeps translated nerume (“blackness”)1 2; Kotansky3 “malignancy”; and Gager “blackness”4. Which one is closer to the mark? A single word’s polyvalent nuances can render its interpretation difficult for modern inter preters. It is obvious that the semantic word fields for some of these words, especially the abstract terms, span a broad gamut of shadings and connotations. It is almost impossible for modern readers and commentators to appreciate them to their full extent. They can only glimpse — as through a glass darkly — some of the possible implications. It cannot be categorically said that the translations already proposed for peAavia are incorrect. However, another translation and semantic word-field are also worthy of consideration.
