μή

See also: μυ, μι, and μη

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meh₁ (prohibitive particle). Cognate with Old Armenian մի (mi), Sanskrit मा (), Old Persian 𐎶𐎠 ().

Pronunciation

 

Particle

μή (mḗ) (negative particle)

  1. not (used in clauses expressing will or thought)
    1. (with an imperative or subjunctive in negative commands)
    2. (with an optative or past indicative, expressing a negative wish)
    3. (in a question expecting a negative answer)
    4. (in dependent clauses)
    5. (with participle representing conditional clause)
  2. (in warnings or statements of fear)
    1. (in independent clauses) that ... not; that
      • 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Meno 89c:
        Σωκράτης   [] ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦτο οὐ καλῶς ὡμολογήσαμεν.
        Sōkrátēs   [] allà mḕ toûto ou kalôs hōmologḗsamen.
        Socrates: But [let's hope] that we didn't agree on this incorrectly.
        or [I'm worried] that we agreed [] .
    2. (introducing indirect statement after verb of fearing or apprehension) that

Usage notes

μή is the negative of thought or wish, but οὐ (ou) of objective statements of fact.

Derived terms

  • μηδαμός (mēdamós)
  • μηδαμοῦ (mēdamoû)
  • μηδαμῇ (mēdamêi)
  • μηδέ (mēdé)
  • μηδείς (mēdeís)
  • μηδέποτε (mēdépote)
  • μηδέπω (mēdépō)
  • μηδέτερος (mēdéteros)
  • μηκέτι (mēkéti)
  • μήπω (mḗpō)
  • μήτις (mḗtis)
  • μήτοι (mḗtoi)
  • μῶν (môn)

References

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