ἀλλά,
conjunction, originally
neuter plural of ἄλλος,
otheruise: used adversatively to limit or oppose words, sentences, or clauses, stronger than δέ:
I) in simple oppositions,
but,
I.1) after
negative clauses, οὐ κακός, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγαθός[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.1.b) after a simple
negative, ἦ παραφρονεῖ; οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ὕπνος μ᾽ ἔχει[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.1.c) frequently after οὐ μόνον, μὴ μόνον, with or without καί, οὐ μόνον ἅπαξ, ἀ. πολλάκις[
Refs 5th c.BC+], either,
not only. but, μὴ ὅτι ἰδιώτην τινά, ἀλλὰ τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; or,
not only not. but, οὐχ ὅπως κωλυταὶ. γενήσεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ. περιόψεσθε[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; the
negative form is ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ, μὴ ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἄλλου, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ δίκην εἴρηκα[
Refs 4th c.BC+]
I.2) in the apodosis of hypothetical sentences,
still, at least, εἴπερ γάρ τε. ἀλλά τε[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ μή (i.e. ὁρῶ), ἀλλ᾽ ἀκούω γε, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] may be in juxtaposition, εἰ ἄλλοις οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμί[
NT+8th c.BC+]; εἰ καὶ μετέχουσι. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.2.b) after [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐὰν οὖν ἀ. νῦν γ᾽ ἔτι, i.e.ἐὰν οὖν [μὴἄλλοτε], ἀ. νῦν γε. if then now
at least ye still, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—without an
adverb of Time,
at least, ἡ δ᾽ ἀ. πρός σε μικρὸν εἰπάτω μόνον[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.3) sometimes = ἀλλ᾽ ἤ (which see),
except, but, οὔτι μοι αἴτιος ἄλλος, ἀ. τοκῆε no one else,
but, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: compare reverse process in our word
but=be out, except:—sometimes with force of ἤ after comparatives, τάφον, οὐκ ἐν ᾧ κεῖνται μᾶλλον, ἀ.ἐν ᾧ ἡ δόξα κτλ. not that in which they are lying,
but far more, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.4) with
negative after an affirmative word or clause, to be rendered simply by
not, ἀγαθῶν, ἀ. οὐχὶ κακῶν αἴτιον[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.4.b) without
negative, μικρὸς μὲν ἔην δέμας, ἀ. μαχητής[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II) to oppose whole sentences,
but, yet:
II.1) frequently in transitions, as [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. οὐδ᾽ ὥς. [
Refs 8th c.BC+] in answers and objections,
nay but, well but, frequently with
negatives, especially in making and answering objections, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; also in affirmative answers, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—repeated in a succession of questions or objections, πότερον ᾔτουν σέ τι; ἀ. ἀπῄτου; ἀ. περὶ παιδικῶν μαχόμενο; ἀ. μεθύων ἐπαρῴνησ; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. μήν, answered by ἀ, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.2) with
imperative or
subjunctive, to remonstrate, encourage, persuade, etc, frequently in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; answered by a second ἀ, ἀ. περιμένετε. ἀ. περιμενοῦμεν[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3) to break off a subject abruptly, ἀ. τά γε Ζεὺς οἶδεν[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. ταῦτα μὲν τί δεῖλέγει; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4) in resuming an address after parenthesis, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5) in elliptical phrases, οὐ μὴν ἀ, οὐ μέντοι ἀ.
it is not [so], but, ὁ ἵππος πίπτει καὶ μικροῦ αὐτὸν ἐξετραχήλισεν· οὐ μὴν [ἐξετραχήλισεν] ἀ. ἐπέμεινεν ὁ Κῦρος it did not however [throw him],
but, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III) when joined with other Particles, each retains proper force, as,
III.1) ἀλλ᾽ ἄρα, used by [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; later, to introduce an objection, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; in questions,ἀλλ᾽ ἆρα; [
Refs]
III.2) ἀλλ᾽ οὖν, concessive,
at all events, [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
well then, [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
but then, however, with γε following, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.3) ἀλλὰ γάρ, frequently with words between,
but really, certainly, as ἀλλὰ γὰρ Κρέοντα λεύσσω, παύσω γόους, but this is irregular for ἀλλά, Κρέοντα γὰρ λεύσσω, παύσω γόους, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; for the regular order[
Refs 8th c.BC+] only with
negatives, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. γὰρ δή, ἀ. γάρ τοι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.4) ἀ. εἰ.
quid si? [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
III.5) ἀ. ἦ in questions, chiefly of surprise or remonstrance, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ ἦ, τὸ λεγόμενον, κατόπιν ἑορτῆς ἥκομε; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.6) ἀ. followed by strengthening Particle, ἀλλ᾽ ἤτοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλά τοι[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. μέντοι, with or without γε, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. μήν, see at {μή; ἀ. δή}, mostly with words between, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; without intervening words, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV) =
et quidem, [
Refs 6th c.AD+]