μή, Elean
μά [ᾱ] [
Refs 6th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit
mā´, Armenian
mi [from I.-[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
mē´], negative used in prohibitions):—
not, the negative of the
will and
thought, as οὐ of
fact and
statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. (A few examples of μηδέ and μηδείς have been included.)
A) in INDEPENDENT sentences, used in expressions of
will or
wish, command, entreaty, warning,
A.1) with
present imperative, 2
person, μή μ᾽ ἐρέθιζε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: rarely with
aorist imperative, μὴ. ἔνθεο τιμῇ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; in
Attic dialect, μὴ ψεῦσον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τῆς. ἐλπίδος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
perfect imperative [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
person when
perfect =
present, μὴ κεκράγετε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.2) with
subjunctive (usually [
Refs], in prohibitions, μὴ δή με. ἐάσῃς [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μή τοί με κρύψῃς τοῦτο[
Refs 5th c.BC+]: coupled with
present imperative, μὴ βοηθήσητε τῷ πεπονθότι δεινά, μὴ εὐορκεῖτε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
person present subjunctive, μὴ κάμνῃς [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with the hortative
subjunctive used to supply the [
Refs]
person of the
imperative,
present μὴ ἴομεν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
aorist μὴ πάθωμεν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with
1st pers. singular, μή σε. κιχείω [
Refs 8th c.BC+] (
anapaest meter).
A.2.b) with
present or
aorist subjunctive in a warning or statement of fear, μὴ. γένησθε
take care you do not become, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μὴ. ὑφαίνῃσιν
I fear. may prove to be weaving, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: in
Attic dialect Prose, to make a polite suggestion of apprehension or hesitation,
perhaps, μὴ ἀγροικότερον ᾖ τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: in later Greek the
indicative is found, μὴ ἡ ἔννοια ἡμῶν. ἀντιλαμβάνεται [
Refs 5th c.AD+]
A.3) with
future indicative, a uncertain usage (νεμεσήσετ᾽ is
subjunctive in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μὴ βουλήσεσθε (Papyrus βούλη[σθ]ε) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.4) with past tenses of
indicative to express an unfulfilled wish, μὴ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.5) with
optative to express a negative wish, with
present, ἃ μὴ κραίνοι τύχη [
Refs 4th c.BC+]: more frequently with
aorist, μὴ σέ γ᾽ ἐν ἀμφιάλῳ Ἰθάκῃ βασιλῆα Κρονίων ποιήσειεν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.6) in oaths and asseverations, ἴστω Ζεὺς, μὴ μὲν τοῖς ἵπποισιν ἀνὴρ ἐποχήσεται ἄλλος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.7) with
infinitive, when used as
imperative, μὴ δή μοι ἀπόπροθεν ἰσχέμεν ἵππους [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.8) frequently without a Verb, εἰ χρή, θανοῦμαι. Answ. μὴ σύ γε (i.e. θάνῃς) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἄπελθε νῦν. Answ. μὴ (i.e. γενέσθω) ἀλλά
nay but, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; in curt expressions, μὴ τριβὰς ἔτι (i.e. ποιεῖσθε) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μή μοι σύ
none of that to me! [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μή μοι πρόφασιν
no excuses! [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B) in DEPENDENT clauses:
B.1) with Final Conjs, ἵνα μή [
Refs 8th c.BC+],
that so, ὅπως ἂν. μηδέ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; but
B.1.b) μή alone, ={ἵνα μή},
lest, ἀπόστιχε μή τινοήσῃ Ἥρη [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
future indicative and
aorist subjunctive in consecutive clauses, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.2) in the protasis of conditional sentences, see at {εἰ} (for the exceptions see at {οὐ}), and with temporal conjunctions used conditionally, see at {ἐπειδάν, ὅταν, ὅτε}, etc.
B.2.b) ὅτι μή
except, ὅτι μὴ Χῖοι μοῦνοι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅσα μὴ ἀποβαίνοντες
provided only that they did
not disembark, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.3) in later Gr, with causal Conjs, ὁ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν [
NT+2nd c.AD+]
that, ὅτι μὴ ἐστὶν ἐπίπεδος οὕτως ἂν καταμάθοιμεν [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
B.4) in
relative clauses, which imply a condition or generality, ὃς δὲ μὴ εἶδέ κω τὴν κανναβίδα
whoever, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὃ μὴ κελεύσει (perhaps κελεύσαι) Ζεύς
such a thing as, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; λέγονθ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ
such things as one ought
not, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently with
subjunctive, ᾧ μὴ ἄλλοι ἀοσσητῆρες ἔωσιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.5) with
infinitive,
B.5.a) regularlyfrom Homer on, except after Verbs of saying and thinking (but see below c): after ὥστε or ὡς, ὥστε μὴ φρονεῖν [
Refs 4th c.BC+]: always when the
infinitive takes the
Article, τὸ μὴ προμαθεῖν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.5.b) by an apparent pleonasm after Verbs of negative result signifying to
forbid, deny, and the like, ὁ δ᾽ ἀναίνετο μηδὲν ἑλέσθαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+] (μηδέν); ἀντιλέγειν [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (μηδέ); ἀπαγορεύειν [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (μηδέ); ἀποτρέπεσθαι [
Refs] (μηδέν); ἀρνεῖσθαι, ἔξαρνος εἶναι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; παύειν (where the
participle is more frequently) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: in these cases the
Article frequently precedes μή, τὸ δὲ μὴ λεηλατῆσαι. ἔσχε τόδε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐξομῇ τὸ μὴ εἰδένα; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴργειν τὸ μή. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐμποδὼν γίγνεσθαι τοῦ μή. [
Refs]
B.5.c) after Verbs of saying and thinking which involve an action of will, as in those signifying to
swear, aver, believe, and the like; so after ὄμνυμι, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: occasionally with other Verbs, φημί [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; λέγω, προλέγω, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάντες ἐροῦσι μή. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; νομίζω[
Refs 5th c.BC+]: very frequently in later Gr, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.6) with the
participle, when it can be resolved into a conditional clause, μὴ ἐνείκας, = {εἰ μὴ ἤνεικε}, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μὴ θέλων, ={εἰ μὴ θέλεις}, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; μὴ δολώσαντος θεοῦ, ={εἰ μὴ ἐδόλωσε}, [
Refs]; μὴ δρῶν, ={εἰ μὴ δρῴην}, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], =
ut qui nihil sciam, [
Refs]; τίς πρὸς ἀνδρὸς μὴ βλέποντος ἄρκεσι;
one who sees
not, [
Refs]: in this
signification frequently with the
Article, ὁ μὴ λεύσσων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: with causal significance, μὴ παρὼν θαυμάζεται [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: very frequently in later Greek, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]: occasionally after Verbs of knowing and showing, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.7) with
Substantives,
adjectives, and
adverbs used generically, with or without
Article, τὰ μὴ δίκαια [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ μὴ 'μπειρία, ={τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἐμπειρίαν},
want of experience, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; δῆμον καὶ μὴ δῆμον[
Refs 4th c.BC+]
B.8) after Verbs expressing
fear or
apprehension (compare μὴ οὐ):
B.8.a) when the thing feared is
future, mostly with
subjunctive: with
present subjunctive, δεινῶς ἀθυμῶ μὴ βλέπων ὁ μάντις ᾖ
shall proveto be, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: more frequently with
aorist, δείδοικα. μή σε παρείπῃ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: with
perfect,
shall prove to have been, δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω πεπραγμέν᾽ ᾖ μοι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: less frequently with
future indicative, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: with
optative according to the sequence of moods and tenses:
present optative, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:
aorist, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
perfect, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: with
future optative in oratio obliqua, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
vect.4.41.
B.8.b) when the action is
present or past, the
indicative is used, εἰσόρα μὴ σκῆψιν οὐκ οὖσαν τίθης [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.8.c) with
indicative and
subjunctive in consecutive clauses, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
C) in QUESTIONS:
C.I) direct questions,
C.I.1) with
indicative, where aneg. answer is anticipated (but more generally in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μή σοι δοκοῦμεν; [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (μηδέ) follows οὐ, see at {οὐ μή}.
C.I.1.b) in other questions, τί μὴ ποιήσ; what am I
not to do? [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί μ; why
not? [
Refs]; compare μήν
C.I.2) with
subjunctive, when the speaker deliberates about a
negative action, μὴ οὕτω φῶμε; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ τοιοῦτος μὴ δῷ δίκη; [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; πῶς μὴ φῶμε; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; how can a man
help being excited when he speaks? [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
C.II) indirect questions, frequently with Verbs implying
fear and
apprehension [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also σκοπεῖσθαι πῶς ἂν μή. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; later in simple indirect questions, ἐπυνθάνετο μὴ ἔγνω [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
C.II.2) in questions introduced by εἰ, ἤρετό με. εἰ μὴ μέμνημαι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴτε. εἴτε μή, εἰ. ἢ οὔ, εἰ. ἢ μή without difference of meaning between μή and οὐ, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D) POSITION of μή. When the
negative extends its power over the whole clause, μή properly precedes the Verb. When its force is limited to single words, it precedes those words. But Poets sometimes put μή after the Verb, ὄλοιο μή πω [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; φράσῃς. μὴ πέρα[
Refs]
D.2) μή is sometimes repeated, μή, μή καλέσῃς [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
E) PROSODY: in Trag. μή may be joined by synizesis with a following ει or ου, μὴ οὐ, μὴ εἰδέναι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: initial ε after μή is cut off by aphaeresis, μὴ 'πὁθουν [
Refs] followed by α is sometimes written μἀ. (see. μὴ ἀλλά, etc.); sometimes separately, μὴ ἀδικεῖν [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
F) μή in COMPOSITION (joined with other words), as μὴ ἀλλά, μὴ γάρ, μὴ οὐ, μὴ ὅπως or ὅτι, μή ποτε, etc, will be found in alphabetical order.