4.4.1
Logeion
Perseus analyses of μά:
μά (by): indeclform (particle)
μᾱ,μής: masc nom/voc/acc dual
μής: masc voc sg
μής: masc nom sg (epic)
LSJ entries
μά
μά
(A)
[ᾰ]
,
Particle
used
in
asseverations
and
oaths,
c.
acc.
of
the
deity
or
thing
appealed
to;
in
itself
neither
affirmative
nor
negative,
but
made
so
by
prefixing
ναί
or
οὐ,
or,
in
Att.
,
by
the
context:
thus,
I.
ναὶ
μὰ
. . ,
in
affirmation,
ναὶ
μὰ
τόδε
σκῆπτρον
yea
by
this
staff,
Il. 1.234
,
cf.
h.Merc. 460
;
ναὶ
μὰ
γὰρ
ὅρκον
Pi. N. 11.24
;
ναὶ
μὰ
Δία,
ναὶ
μὰ
τὸν
Δία
,
etc.,
Ar. Ach. 88
,
Pl. R. 407b
,
etc.;
also
μὰ
ναί
Inscr.Cypr.
109
H.
II.
οὐ
μὰ
. . ,
in
negation,
οὐ
μὰ
γὰρ
Ἀπόλλωνα
,
οὐ
μὰ
Ζῆνα
,
nay,
by
. . ,
Il. 1.86
,
23.43
;
οὐ
μὰ
τὴν
δέσποιναν
Ἄρτεμιν
S. El. 626
;
οὔ
τοι
μὰ
τοὺς
δώδεκα
θεούς
Ar. Eq. 235
;
οὐ
μὰ
τὸν
Δία,
οὔκουν
οὕτω
γε
. .
Pl. Tht. 142e
.
III.
after
Hom.
μά
is
freq.
used
alone,
1.
chiefly
in
negation
when
the
negative
follows,
μὰ
Δίʼ
οὐκ
εἶδον
ἐμαυτοῦ
ἀμείνω
ὑλοτόμον
IG
12.1084;
μὰ
τὴν
πατρῴαν
ἑστίαν,
ἀλλʼ
οὐχ
ὕβρει
λέγω
τάδ
ʼ
S. El. 881
;
μὰ
τοὺς
παρʼ
Ἅιδῃ
νερτέρους
ἀλάστορας,
οὔτοι
ποτʼ
ἔσται
τοῦτο
E. Med. 1059
;
μὰ
τὸν
Ἀπόλλω,
οὔκ
Ar. Th. 269
,
cf.
A. Ag. 1432
,
E. Cyc. 262
,
Pl. Prt. 312e
;
μὰ
τὴν
γῆν,
μὴ
σύγε
δῷς
Anaxil. 9
;
μὰ
δαίμονας,
οὐκ
ἀπὸ
ῥυσμοῦ
εἰκάζω
Call. Epigr. 44
;
μὰ
τὸν
Δία
δὲ
οὐδὲ
νομίζω
. .
IG
22.1099.30
(ii
A.D.)
;
μὰ
σέ,
Καῖσαρ,
οὐδείς
σε
νικᾷ
D.C. 61.20
:
with
preceding
neg.,
οὐδʼ
ὄναρ,
μὰ
τὰς
Μοίρας
Herod. 1.11
. :
in
answers,
when
the
negation
is
expressed
in
the
question,
οὐκ
αὖ
μʼ
ἐάσεις
;
Answ.
μὰ
Δίʼ,
ἐπεὶ
κἀγὼ
πόνηρός
εἰμι
Ar. Eq. 336
,
cf.
338
(where
οὐκ
ἐάσω
is
to
be
supplied
after
μὰ
Δία
from
the
question,
cf.
Ra. 951
,
Pl. 400
):
when
ἀλλά
follows,
δύο
δραχμὰς
μισθὸν
τελεῖς
;
Answ.
μὰ
Δίʼ,
ἀλλʼ
ἔλαττον
Id. Ra. 174
(where
οὐ
τελῶ
is
understood,
cf.
ib.
753
,
779
,
1053
,
X. Mem. 3.13.3
):
in
μὰ
γῆν,
μὰ
κρήνας,
μὰ
ποταμούς,
μὰ
νάματα
Antiph. 296
=
Timocl. 38
,
the
context
is
missing.
b.
in
reply
to
an
imper.,
ἀπόδος
αὐτό
;
Answ.
μὰ
τὸν
Ἀπόλλω
Ar. Th. 748
.
2.
in
later
Gr.
in
affirmation,
δακρύω
μὰ
σέ,
δαῖμον
Annales
du
Service
27.32 (
Egypt
);
μὰ
τὴν
Ἄρτεμιν
Ἀκοντίῳ
γαμοῦμαι
Aristaenet. 1.10
,
cf.
Ach.Tat. 8.5
.
IV.
in
colloquial
discourse,
esp.
Att.
(cf.
Greg.Cor.
p.150
S.
,
Ph. 2.271
),
the
name
of
the
deity
sworn
by
was
often
suppressed,
to
avoid
a
downright
oath,
μὰ
τόν
Ar. Ra. 1374
(lyr.),
Pl. Grg. 466e
;
μὰ
τήν
Men. 369
;
ναὶ
μὰ
τόν
Call. Fr. 66d
,
Ael. NA 3.19
;
ναὶ
μὰ
τάς
(sc.
Χάριτας
)
Suid.
s.v.
ναὶ
μὰ
τό
(codd.
dett.);
οὐ
μὰ
τὸν
—
οὐκ
ὀμόσω
AP
12.201 (
Strat.
),
cf.
7.112
(
D.L.
).
V.
μά
is
sts.
omitted
after
ναί
(q.
v.);
also
after
οὐ,
οὐ
τὸν
πάντων
θεῶν
θεὸν
πρόμον
Ἅλιον
S. OT 660
(lyr.);
οὐ
τὸν
Ὄλυμπον
ib.
1088
(lyr.);
οὐ
τόνδʼ
Ὄλυμπον
Id. Ant. 758
,
cf.
El. 1063
(lyr.).
μής
μής
,
ὁ
,
A.
v.
μείς.
μῆστο·
ἐβουλεύσατο
,
Hsch.
;
cf.
μήδομαι
.