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μή,
Elean μά [ᾱ] [[ “SIG” 9.5 (Olympia, 6th c.BC)] Refs 6th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit mā´, Armenian mi [from I.-[[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus ] 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 [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.32, +others; 3 _person_, μή μευ πειράτω 9.345, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: rarely with aorist imperative, μὴ.. ἔνθεο τιμῇ [[ 4.410, compare 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 24.248 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; in Attic dialect, μὴ ψεῦσον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τῆς.. ἐλπίδος [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Thesmophoriazusae” 870; 3 _person_, μή τις ἀκουσάτω 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 16.301, compare 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 8.55, “P.” 5.23, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 1041, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 1180; μηδεὶς νομισάτω, προσδοκησάτω 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 7.5.73, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 17c: with ] Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect imperative [[ 3 _person_, μή τις ὀπίσσω τετράφθω 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 12.272; or 2 ] Refs 8th c.BC+] person when perfect = present, μὴ κεκράγετε [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 415. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.2 with subjunctive (usually [[ 2 _person_ of _aorist_)] Refs], in prohibitions, μὴ δή με.. ἐάσῃς [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 5.684, compare 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 583 (Lyric poetry), +others] Refs 8th c.BC+]; μή τοί με κρύψῃς τοῦτο[[ [prev. work] 625, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 470; μὴ φθονήσῃς 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 320c ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: coupled with present imperative, μὴ βοηθήσητε τῷ πεπονθότι δεινά, μὴ εὐορκεῖτε [[ 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.211; 3 _person_, μὴ.. γένηται 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 4.37, compare 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 22.213; μὴ ματεύσῃ θεὸς γενέσθαι 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 5.24: rarely, if ever, with 2 ] Refs 8th c.BC+] person present subjunctive, μὴ κάμνῃς [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” 1143 (to be read κάμῃς); 3 _person_, μή τις οἴηται, ={μὴ οἰώμεθα}, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 861e ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with the hortative subjunctive used to supply the [[ 1 ] Refs] person of the imperative, present μὴ ἴομεν [[ (ἴωμεν) 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 12.216, etc.; μὴ διώκωμεν 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 8.109, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist μὴ πάθωμεν [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.5.11, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with 1st pers. singular, μή σε.. κιχείω [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.26, compare 21.475, 22.123, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 174 ] Refs 8th c.BC+] (anapaest meter).
Close Browse lexicon entries __A.2.b with present or aorist subjunctive in a warning or statement of fear, μὴ.. γένησθε take care you do not become, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 5.487 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; μὴ.. ὑφαίνῃσιν I fear.. may prove to be weaving, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 5.356; αἷμα μὴ σοῖς ἐξομόρξωμαι πέπλοις 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hercules Furens” 1399 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]: in Attic dialect Prose, to make a polite suggestion of apprehension or hesitation, perhaps, μὴ ἀγροικότερον ᾖ τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 462e, compare “Tht.” 188d, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Politica” 1291a8, +others] Refs 5th c.BC+]: in later Greek the indicative is found, μὴ ἡ ἔννοια ἡμῶν.. ἀντιλαμβάνεται [[ 5th-6th c.AD: Damascius Philosophus “de Principiis” 27. ] Refs 5th c.AD+]
__A.3 with future indicative, a uncertain usage (νεμεσήσετ᾽ is subjunctive in [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 15.115), μηδεμίαν ἄδειαν δώσετε 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 29.13 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; μὴ βουλήσεσθε (Papyrus βούλη[σθ]ε) [[ 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 23.117; compare μαλακὸν ἐνδώσετε μηδέν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 488. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.4 with past tenses of indicative to express an unfulfilled wish, μὴ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.698, compare 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.548; μή ποτ᾽ ὤφελον λιπεῖν τὴν Σκῦρον 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 969; εἴθε μή ποτ᾽ εἰδόμαν [prev. author] “OT” 1217 (Lyric poetry), compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” 70, “Cyc.” 186, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 4.6.3. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.5 with optative to express a negative wish, with present, ἃ μὴ κραίνοι τύχη [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 426, compare “Eu.” 938 (Lyric poetry)] Refs 4th c.BC+]: more frequently with aorist, μὴ σέ γ᾽ ἐν ἀμφιάλῳ Ἰθάκῃ βασιλῆα Κρονίων ποιήσειεν [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.386, compare 403, 11.613. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.6 in oaths and asseverations, ἴστω Ζεὺς.., μὴ μὲν τοῖς ἵπποισιν ἀνὴρ ἐποχήσεται ἄλλος [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 10.330; ἴστω νῦν τόδε Γαῖα.., μὴ.. Ποσειδάων.. πημαίνει Τρῶας 15.41; μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην.., μὴ ἐγώ σ᾽ ἀφήσω 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 1000, compare “Av.” 195, “Lys.” 917. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.7 with infinitive, when used as imperative, μὴ δή μοι ἀπόπροθεν ἰσχέμεν ἵππους [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 17.501; μὴ πρὶν ἐπ᾽ ἠέλιον δῦναι 2.413; οἷς μὴ πελάζειν 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 712. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.8 frequently without a Verb, εἰ χρή, θανοῦμαι. Answ. μὴ σύ γε (i.e. θάνῃς) [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 1441 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἄπελθε νῦν. Answ. μὴ (i.e. γενέσθω) ἀλλά nay but, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 458 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; in curt expressions, μὴ τριβὰς ἔτι (i.e. ποιεῖσθε) [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 577 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μή μοι σύ none of that to me! [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Medea” 964 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μή μοι πρόφασιν no excuses! [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 345; μή μοί γε μύθους [prev. author] “V.” 1179. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B in DEPENDENT clauses:
__B.1 with Final Conjs., ἵνα μή [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 19.348, etc.; ὅπως μή 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 27.5, +others; ὡς μή 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 8.37, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 53, +others; ὄφρα μή 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.118, +others: with ὅπως ἄν and ὡς ἄν] Refs 8th c.BC+], that so, ὅπως ἂν.. μηδέ [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 178, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 481a; ὡς ἂν μή 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 4.749, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.5 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; but
__B.1.b μή alone, ={ἵνα μή}, lest, ἀπόστιχε μή τινοήσῃ Ἥρη [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.522, compare 587; λίσσεσθαι.., μή οἱ.. χολώσαιτο φρένα κούρη 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 6.147 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]: future indicative and aorist subjunctive in consecutive clauses, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 495 (Lyric poetry, uncertain reading). ] 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 [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.18, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.26; ὅτι μὴ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 67a; ὅσον μή [prev. work] 83a ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅσα μὴ ἀποβαίνοντες provided only that they did not disembark, [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.16. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.3 in later Gr., with causal Conjs., ὁ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν [[ NT.John.3.18, compare 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “DMort.” 21.2, “D Deor.” 2.1; ἐπεὶ μή [prev. author] “Hist.Conscr.” 3, etc.: also after ὅτι and ὡς] NT+2nd c.AD+] that, ὅτι μὴ ἐστὶν ἐπίπεδος οὕτως ἂν καταμάθοιμεν [[ 2nd c.AD: Cleomedes Astronomus 1.8, compare 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Hist.Conscr.” 29, “DDeor.” 20.10. ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__B.4 in relative clauses, which imply a condition or generality, ὃς δὲ μὴ εἶδέ κω τὴν κανναβίδα whoever.., [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.74 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὃ μὴ κελεύσει (perhaps κελεύσαι) Ζεύς such a thing as.., [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 618, compare 661, 899 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; λέγονθ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ such things as one ought not, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 583; λόγοις τοιούτοις οἷς σὺ μὴ τέρψῃ κλύων [prev. author] “Ant.” 691; ὅπου μὴ ἠθέλησεν 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 1.7 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently with subjunctive, ᾧ μὴ ἄλλοι ἀοσσητῆρες ἔωσιν [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 4.165, +others: with ἄν, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 281: with _optative_, ἃ μὴ σαφῶς εἰδείη 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.6.19, etc.: less frequently with _optative_ and ἄν, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Philebus” 20a, “Lg.” 839a; γένοιτο δ᾽ ἂν ἐν ᾗ μή τι ἂν προσδοκήσειεν χώρᾳ [prev. work] 872d. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.5.a regularlyfrom Homer on, except after Verbs of saying and thinking (but see below c): after ὥστε or ὡς, ὥστε μὴ φρονεῖν [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 725 (troch.), etc. (for exceptions see at {οὐ})] Refs 4th c.BC+]: always when the infinitive takes the Article, τὸ μὴ προμαθεῖν [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 8.60; τὸ μὴ ἀμελεῖν μάθε 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 86, compare 749, “Pr.” 624; λείπομαι ἐν τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 496. ] 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 [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 18.500 (without μή [prev. work] 450); ἀντιδικεῖν 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 6.12 ] Refs 8th c.BC+] (μηδέν); ἀντιλέγειν [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 5.49, 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 4.15 ] Refs 5th c.BC+] (μηδέ); ἀπαγορεύειν [[ 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.34, 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 4.9; ἀπειπεῖν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Aves” 557, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 33.19, etc.; ἀπαυδᾶν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Equites” 1072; ἀπείργειν 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Helena” 1559, +others (without μή 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 70); ἀπιστεῖν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.40; ἀπεγνωκέναι 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 1.34; ἀποστερεῖσθαι 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 2.4.1 ] Refs 5th c.BC+] (μηδέ); ἀποτρέπεσθαι [[ [prev. author] 5.32 ] Refs] (μηδέν); ἀρνεῖσθαι, ἔξαρνος εἶναι, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Equites” 572, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.67; ἐναντιωθῆναι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 32b; σχεῖν 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.158 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; παύειν (where the participle is more frequently) [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 634; κωλῦσαι 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Phoenissae” 1269; ἐπάρατον ἦν μὴ οἰκεῖν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.17 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: in these cases the Article frequently precedes μή, τὸ δὲ μὴ λεηλατῆσαι.. ἔσχε τόδε [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 5.101 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐξομῇ τὸ μὴ εἰδένα; [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 535 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴργειν τὸ μή.. [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.1, etc.; also ἀπέφυγε τὰ σφῷν τὸ μὴ πίτνειν κακῶς 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 1740 (Lyric poetry): with _Article_ in _genitive_, ἔχειν τοῦ μή.. 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 3.5.71 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐμποδὼν γίγνεσθαι τοῦ μή.. [[ [prev. author] “Cyr.” 2.4.23. ] 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, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.133, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 5.179, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.165, 2.179, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 1047, etc.; μαρτυρῶ 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 7.11, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 45.15, etc.; ὁμολογῶ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 336b, “Smp.” 202b, compare “Phd.” 93d, etc.; ἐγγυῶμαι 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 11(10).18, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 336d; πέπεισμαι [prev. author] “Ap.” 37a, etc.; πιστεύω 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.2, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 1.9.8, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: occasionally with other Verbs, φημί [[ [prev. author] “Mem.” 1.2.39, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Theaetetus” 155a ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; λέγω, προλέγω, [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 5.49, 1.139 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάντες ἐροῦσι μή.. [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 7.1.18 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; νομίζω[[ [prev. work] 7.5.59, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.102; ἡγοῦμαι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 27d ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: very frequently in later Gr., [[ NT.Matt.2.12, 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Peregr.” 44, etc. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.6 with the participle, when it can be resolved into a conditional clause, μὴ ἐνείκας, = {εἰ μὴ ἤνεικε}, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.64 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μὴ θέλων, ={εἰ μὴ θέλεις}, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 504 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; μὴ δολώσαντος θεοῦ, ={εἰ μὴ ἐδόλωσε}, [[ [prev. author] “Ag.” 273 ] Refs]; μὴ δρῶν, ={εἰ μὴ δρῴην}, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 77, etc.: in a general or characteristic sense, δίδασκέ με ὡς μὴ εἰδότα] Refs 5th c.BC+], = ut qui nihil sciam, [[ [prev. author] “OC” 1155, compare “Ant.” 1063, 1064 ] Refs]; τίς πρὸς ἀνδρὸς μὴ βλέποντος ἄρκεσι; one who sees not, [[ [prev. author] “OC” 73 ] Refs]: in this signification frequently with the Article, ὁ μὴ λεύσσων [[ [prev. author] “Tr.” 828 (Lyric poetry); ὁ μὴ δουλεύσας 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 762e; τῷ μὴ εἰργασμένῳ 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.65; τὸν.. μὴ φροντίσαντα 4th c.BC: Lycurgus Orator 27, compare 45, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]: with causal significance, μὴ παρὼν θαυμάζεται [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 289, etc.; ἄθλια πάσχω μὴ.. μόνον βιαζόμενος 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 2.2.4; ἑτέρας μηδεμιᾶς ὁμολογουμένης εἶναι 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 5.16; μηδενὸς ἐμποδὼν ὄντος 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 3.8 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: very frequently in later Greek, [[ “POxy.” 38.16 (1st c.AD), 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “DMeretr.” 12.4, etc.] Refs 1st c.AD+]: occasionally after Verbs of knowing and showing, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 79, “OC” 656, 797, 1122, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Troades” 970, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.76, 2.17. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.7 with Substantives, adjectives, and adverbs used generically, with or without Article, τὰ μὴ δίκαια [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 432; δίκαια καὶ μὴ δίκαια [prev. author] “Ch.” 78 (Lyric poetry); τὸ μὴ 'νδικον 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 682 (Lyric poetry); τὸ μὴ καλόν [prev. author] “Ant.” 370 (Lyric poetry)] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ μὴ 'μπειρία, ={τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἐμπειρίαν}, want of experience, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 115; ἡ μὴ ἐπιτροπή 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 966c ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; δῆμον καὶ μὴ δῆμον[[ [prev. work] 759b; ὁ μὴ ἰατρός [prev. author] “Grg.” 459b; νίκης μὴ κακῆς 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 903, compare “Th.” 411; τῷ φρονοῦντι μὴ καλῶς [prev. author] “Pr.” 1012, compare “Ag.” 349, 927. ] 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.., [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 747, compare “Ant.” 1113; ὅρα μὴ κυβεύῃς 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 314a ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: more frequently with aorist, δείδοικα.. μή σε παρείπῃ [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.555, compare 9.244, 13.745 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]: with perfect, shall prove to have been, δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω πεπραγμέν᾽ ᾖ μοι [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 663, compare “Ph.” 494, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.119, 4.140, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]: less frequently with future indicative, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 2.3.6, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 488, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Philebus” 13a ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: with optative according to the sequence of moods and tenses: present optative, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 482, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 1.10.9 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.634, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.3.10 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: with future optative in oratio obliqua, [[ [prev. author] “HG” 6.4.27, “Mem.” 1.2.7, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Euthyphro” 15d: with _optative_ and ἄν, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 631, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus ] 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 [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 584, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Ion” 1523, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Nubes” 493, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Laches” 196c; ὅρα μὴ παίζων ἔλεγεν [prev. author] “Tht.” 145b, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Helena” 119; φοβούμεθα μὴ ἀμφοτέρων ἡμαρτήκαμεν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.53, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Orestes” 209, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Lysis” 218d; δείδω μὴ δὴ πάντα θεὰ νημερτέα εἶπεν 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 5.300. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.8.c with indicative and subjunctive in consecutive clauses, [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Phoenissae” 93. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.I.1 with indicative, where aneg. answer is anticipated (but more generally in [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 683 (Lyric poetry), 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 1502, “Tr.” 316, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 488b), in 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus only ἦ μή..; 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 6.200, 9.405 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; μή σοι δοκοῦμεν..; [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 344, compare “Pr.” 249, 959, etc.: in Trag. and _Attic dialect_ frequently ἆρα μ; [prev. author] “Th.” 208, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 446, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 405a: for questions in which μή ] 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? [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 1276 (Lyric poetry)] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί μ; why not? [[ [prev. author] “Aj.” 668 (assuming variant)] Refs]; compare μήν
__C.I.2 with subjunctive, when the speaker deliberates about a negative action, μὴ οὕτω φῶμε; [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 335c, compare 337b, 417b ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ τοιοῦτος μὴ δῷ δίκη; [[ 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.35 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; πῶς μὴ φῶμε; [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Theaetetus” 161e: with _optative_ and ἄν, πῶς ἄν τις μὴ θυμῷ λέγοι] Refs 5th c.BC+]; how can a man help being excited when he speaks? [[ [prev. author] “Lg.” 887c, compare “Grg.” 510d, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 3.1.10. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II indirect questions, frequently with Verbs implying fear and apprehension [[compare (5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 8), ὄφρα ἴδωμεν μὴ τοὶ κοιμήσωνται 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 10.98, compare 101, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 21.395; περισκοπῶ μή πού τις.. ἐγχρίμπτει 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 898, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.13, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]; also σκοπεῖσθαι πῶς ἂν μή.. [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 5.8, compare 15.6 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; later in simple indirect questions, ἐπυνθάνετο μὴ ἔγνω [[ 2nd c.AD(?): Antoninus Liberalis Mythographus 23.5. ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__C.II.2 in questions introduced by εἰ, ἤρετό με.. εἰ μὴ μέμνημαι [[ 4th c.BC: Aeschines Orator 2.36 (εἰ οὐκ in same sense, 1.84): in the second part of a disjunctive question, εἰ.. ἢ (or εἴτε) μή.., εἴτε.. εἴτε μή.., 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 468, 612, 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.7, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 18a, “R.” 457d, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 2.1.7 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴτε.. εἴτε μή.., εἰ.. ἢ οὔ, εἰ.. ἢ μή without difference of meaning between μή and οὐ, [[ 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 8.9; so also, τοὺς νόμους καταμανθάνειν εἰ καλῶς κεῖνται ἢ μή,.. τοὺς λόγους, εἰ ὀρθῶς διδάσκουσι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ οὔ 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.14. ] 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 [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 961 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; φράσῃς.. μὴ πέρα[[ [prev. work] 332, compare “OC” 1522. ] Refs]
__D.2 μή is sometimes repeated, μή, μή καλέσῃς [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 1418, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 190, “OC” 210 (both Lyric poetry). ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__E PROSODY: in Trag. μή may be joined by synizesis with a following ει or ου, μὴ οὐ, μὴ εἰδέναι, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 13, 221, “Tr.” 321, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]: initial ε after μή is cut off by aphaeresis, μὴ 'πὁθουν [[ [prev. author] “Aj.” 962; μὴ 'μβαίνῃς [prev. author] “OC” 400; μὴ 'γώ [prev. author] “Ph.” 910: in Prose, μὴ 'κ “IG” 12.115.11: μή] Refs] followed by α is sometimes written μἀ.. (see. μὴ ἀλλά, etc.); sometimes separately, μὴ ἀδικεῖν [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 85, etc. ] 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.
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STEPBible TFLSJ (Translators Formatted full LSJ Bible lexicon), CC BY 4.0, Tyndale House. Greek lexical entries from the full Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, formatted by Tyndale House Cambridge for biblical study.
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