constantly = constant Both Bateson and Sherwood have “constant”, but constant is clearly used as an adverb in the German original. Constant was a common term among naturalists, designating identity with respect to a certain trait across classificatory units, be it genealogical, geographical or taxonomic units (see Carl Linnaeus, Philosophia botanica, Stockholm: Kiesewetter, 1751, pp. 122–123). “Constancy” is in no way a trivial concept, since ascertaining whether a trait is constant or not depends on how organisms are classified in the first place. In this regard, Mendel’s adverbial use of the concept is very interesting: constancy is observed with respect to traits that make a difference (cf. p. 6, s. 14 on Mendel’s species concept). Throughout his paper, moreover, Mendel uses the concept with respect to genealogical lines of descent, contrasting “constant” traits that remain identical in descendants with “hybrid” traits that segregate in descendants; see p. 15, s. 7. This is the sense in which he talks of “constantly differing” traits here as well, as is clear from the two-year test for constancy that Mendel carried out on his chosen pea varieties (see p. 6, s. 10).
differing traits = differirende Merkmale Bateson has “differentiating characters” here, probably in order to highlight the sense in which Mendel speaks of traits that not only differ, but differentiate taxa, a reading that is additionally supported by the use of Merkmal, a term that derives from the verb merken (to memorise or notice) and is commonly used to indicate properties distinguishing kinds within the context of a classification. We follow Sherwood, who in a short footnote emphasises that she has used “differing” for differiriend and “trait” for Merkmal throughout her translation. Mendel’s terminology is curious, since differieren (this would be the modern spelling) implies not only difference, but some kind of contrast or opposition, as between the two sides of a debate. With “constantly differing traits”, Mendel is thus referring to what his followers in the early twentieth century would call “character pairs”. Note, however, that the formulation Mendel uses allows for the possibility of more than two “differing traits”.
constantly = constant Both Bateson and Sherwood have “constant”, but constant is clearly used as an adverb in the German original. Constant was a common term among naturalists, designating identity with respect to a certain trait across classificatory units, be it genealogical, geographical or taxonomic units (see Carl Linnaeus, Philosophia botanica, Stockholm: Kiesewetter, 1751, pp. 122–123). “Constancy” is in no way a trivial concept, since ascertaining whether a trait is constant or not depends on how organisms are classified in the first place. In this regard, Mendel’s adverbial use of the concept is very interesting: constancy is observed with respect to traits that make a difference (cf. p. 6, s. 14 on Mendel’s species concept). Throughout his paper, moreover, Mendel uses the concept with respect to genealogical lines of descent, contrasting “constant” traits that remain identical in descendants with “hybrid” traits that segregate in descendants; see p. 15, s. 7. This is the sense in which he talks of “constantly differing” traits here as well, as is clear from the two-year test for constancy that Mendel carried out on his chosen pea varieties (see p. 6, s. 10).
differing traits = differirende Merkmale Bateson has “differentiating characters” here, probably in order to highlight the sense in which Mendel speaks of traits that not only differ, but differentiate taxa, a reading that is additionally supported by the use of Merkmal, a term that derives from the verb merken (to memorise or notice) and is commonly used to indicate properties distinguishing kinds within the context of a classification. We follow Sherwood, who in a short footnote emphasises that she has used “differing” for differiriend and “trait” for Merkmal throughout her translation. Mendel’s terminology is curious, since differieren (this would be the modern spelling) implies not only difference, but some kind of contrast or opposition, as between the two sides of a debate. With “constantly differing traits”, Mendel is thus referring to what his followers in the early twentieth century would call “character pairs”. Note, however, that the formulation Mendel uses allows for the possibility of more than two “differing traits”.