μετά [ᾰ, but ᾱ in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]],
poetry μεταί, uncertain, only in μεταιβολί;
Aeolic dialect,
Doric dialect, [
Refs 4th c.AD+]:
preposition with
genitive,
dative, and
accusative (Cf. Goth.
mip, OHG.
miti, mit 'with'.)
A) WITH GEN. (in which use μ. gradually superseded σύν, which see),
A.I)
in the midst of, among, between, with
plural Nouns, μετ᾽ ἄλλων λέξο ἑταίρων [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
with one, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], i.e.
among no men, [
Refs]
A.II)
in common, along with, by aid of (implying a closer union than σύν), μ. Βοιωτῶν ἐμάχοντο [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; συνδιεπολέμησαν τὸν πόλεμον μ. Ἀθηναίων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. τῆς βουλῆς
in co-operation with the council, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
with, i.e.
by aid of, Athena, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. τινὸς πάσχειν, δρᾶν τι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. τινὸς εἶναι to be
on one's
side, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally,
with, together with, with
substantive in
singular first in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ μ. τινός his
companions, [
NT+5th c.BC+] C.
and the Athenians, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; of things,
in conjunction with, ἰσχύν τε καὶ κάλλος μετὰ ὑγιείας [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III) later,
in one's dealings with, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν [
NT+2nd c.AD+]: even of hostile action, σὺ ποιεῖς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ πονηρίαν [
LXX+NT+2nd c.AD+]: to denote the union of persons with qualities or circumstances, and so to denote manner, τὸ ἄπραγμον. μὴ μ. τοῦ δραστηρίου τεταγμένον [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ψυχὴν ὁσίως βεβιωκυῖαν καὶ μετ᾽ ἀληθείας [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; also,
by means of, μετ᾽ ἀρετῆς πρωτεύειν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.2) serving to join two predicates, γενόμενος μ. τοῦ δυνατοῦ καὶ ξυνετός, i.e. δυνατός τε καὶ ξυνετός, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.15; ὅταν πλησιάζῃ μ. τοῦ ἅπτεσθαι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedrus” 255b.
A.IV) rarely of Time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετ᾽ ἀνοκωχῆς
during, [
Refs]
B) WITH DAT, only
poetry, mostly
Epic dialect:
B.I)
between, among others, but without the close union which belongs to the genitive, and so nearly ={ἐν}, which is sometimes exchanged with it, μ. πρώτοισι. ἐν πυμάτοισι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.I.1) of persons,
among, in company with, μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. τριτάτοισιν ἄνασσεν
in the third generation (not μ. τριτάτων
belonging to it), [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; of haranguing an assembly, μετ᾽ Ἀργείοις ἀγορεύεις [
Refs];
between, of two parties, φιλότητα μετ᾽ ἀμφοτέροισι βάλωμεν [
Refs]
B.I.2) of things, μ. νηυσίν, ἀστράσι, κύμασιν, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.I.3) of separate parts of persons,
between, μ. χερσὶν ἔχειν to hold
between, i.e.
in, the hands, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅς κεν. πέσῃ μ. ποσσὶ γυναικός, of a child being born, 'to fall
between her feet', [
Refs]
B.II) to complete a number,
besides, over and above, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πέμπτος μ. τοῖσιν ἐλέγμην I reckoned myself to be
with them a fifth, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; Οὖτιν. πύματον ἔδομαι μ. οἷς ἑτάροισι last
to complete the number, i.e.
after, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.III) with
dative singular, only of
collective Nouns (or the equivalent of such, μεθ᾽ αἵματι καὶ κονίῃσιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C) WITH ACCUSATIVE
C.I) of motion,
into the middle of, coming into or
among, especially where a number of
persons is implied, ἵκοντο μ. Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; of
things, εἴ τινα φεύγοντα σαώσειαν μ. νῆας [
Refs]; με μ. ἔριδας καὶ νείκεα βάλλει plunges me
into them, [
Refs]; of place, μ. τ᾽ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων [
Refs]; δράγματα μετ᾽ ὄγμον πῖπτον
into the midst of the furrow, [
Refs]
C.I.2)
in pursuit or
quest of, of persons, sometimes in friendlysense, βῆ ῥ᾽ ἰέναι μ. Νέστορα went
to seek [
Refs 8th c.BC+] to go
after, pursue him, [
Refs]; also of things, πλεῖν μ. χαλκόν to sail
in quest of it, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἵκηαι μ. πατρὸς ἀκουήν
in search of news of thy father, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πόλεμον μέτα θωρήσσοντο they armed
for the battle, [
Refs]; ὡπλίζοντο μεθ᾽ ὕλην prepared
to seek after wood, [
Refs]
C.II) of sequence or succession,
C.II.1) of Place,
after, behind, λαοὶ ἕπονθ᾽, ὡς εἴ τε μ. κτίλον ἕσπετο μῆλα like sheep
after the bell-wether, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. τὴν θάλασσαν
beyond, on the far side of the sea, [
Refs]
C.II.2) of Time,
after, next to, μ. δαῖτας [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μεθ᾽ Ἕκτορα πότμος ἑτοῖμος
after Hector thy death is at the door, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
thereupon, there-after, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετ᾽ ὀλίγον ὕστερον shortly
after, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; μ. χρυσόθρονον ἠῶ
after daybreak, [
Refs]
by day, opposed to νυκτός, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν, opposed to νύκτωρ, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. τὸν ἑξέτη καὶ τὴν ἑξέτιν
after the boy or girl has attained the age of six years, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
C.II.3) in order of Worth, Rank, etc,
next after, following
superlative, κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ. τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετ᾽ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: where
superlative is implied, ὃς πᾶσι μετέπρεπε. μ. Πηλεΐωνος ἑταῖρον [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. μάκαρας
next to the gods, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; also μάχεσθαι μ. πολλοὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων to be
inferior in fighting
to many, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
C.III)
after, according to, μ. σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κῆρ
as you and I
wish, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.IV) generally,
among, between, as with
dative (B.I), μ. πάντας ὁμήλικας ἄριστος best
among all, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. τοὺς τετελευτηκότας
including those who have died, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]; μ. χεῖρας ἔχειν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D) μετά with all cases can be put after its
substantive, and is then by anastrophe μέτα, [
Refs 8th c.BC+], but not when the
ultima is elided, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
E)
absolutely as
adverb,
among them, with them, [
Refs 8th c.BC+];
with him, οὐκ οἶον, μ. καὶ Γανυμήδεα [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]
E.II)
and then, next afterwards, opposed to πρόσθε, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
E.III)
thereafter,[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. γάρ τε καὶ ἄλγεσι τέρπεται ἀνήρ one feels pleasure even in troubles,
when past, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. δέ, for ἔπειτα δέ, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
F) μέτα, -μέτεστι, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
G) IN COMPOSITION (joined with other words),
G.I)
of community or
participation, as in μεταδίδωμι, μετέχω, usually with
genitive of things.
G.I.2) of action
in common with another, as in μεταδαίνυμαι, μεταμέλπομαι, etc, with
dative person G.II)
in the midst of, of space or time, as in μεταδήμιος, μεταδόρπιος 1;
between, as in μεταίχμιον, μεταπύργιον.
G.III) of
succession of time, as in μεταδόρπιος 2, μετακλαίω, μεταυτίκα.
G.IV) of
pursuit, as in μεταδιώκω, μετέρχομαι.
G.V) of
letting go, as in μεθίημι, μεθήμων.
G.VI)
after, behind, as in μετάφρενον, opposed to πρόσθε.
G.VII)
reversely, as in μετατρέπω, μεταστρέφω.
G.VIII) most frequently of
change of place, condition, plan, etc, as in μεταβαίνω, μεταβάλλω, μεταβουλεύω, μεταγιγνώσκω, etc.