An old Chinese proverb => its source?

[Adolf Ceska]

I don't think Linnaeus was Chinese, but he said something similar:

Nomina si nescis, perit et cognition rerum.
["Who knoweth not the names, knoweth not the subject."]
If you don't know the names, your knowledge of the things perishes.
Linnaeus, Critica Botanica No. 210, 1737

Adolf Ceska, Victoria, BC, Canada


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG] On Behalf Of
> christian thompson
> Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 4:50 AM
> To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
> Subject: [TAXACOM] An old chinese proverb => its source?
>
> There is an old chinese proverb that I picked up some where and have now
> forgotten the source.
>
> Does any one know the source of the following:
>
> The beginning of knowledge consists in learning to call things by their
> names.