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Αἶ · ai, if (αι 1) · Suda

Letters

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

Near αι1

α4752alpha:4752
α4753alpha:4753
α4754alpha:4754
α4755alpha:4755
αι1ai, if
αι2earth
αι3wail, wailing
αι4to wail
αι5Aiakides, Aeacides

Suda/ΑΙ alphaiota/αι1

← Previous entry,α4755 Next entry,αι2 →

Αἶ

ai, if

Translated by Anne Mahoney21 May 1999Vetting: high7 revisions

definition
dialects, grammar, and etymology
gender and sexuality
imagery
poetry
women

3 notes · 50 words

Translation

With smooth breathing and circumflex accent, it means "would that", by a shortening of ai)=qe ['if only'], but with rough breathing [it is] the feminine article and relative pronoun.¹
With smooth breathing and circumflex it also denotes an adverb² of lament, especially when doubled: "Ai, ai, wretched nurse burnt [....]"³

Greek original · Adler’s text

Αἶ· ψιλούμενον καὶ περισπώμενον τὸ ὄφελον σημαίνει, κατὰ ἀποκοπὴν τοῦ αἶθε, δασυνόμενον δὲ ἄρθρον θηλυκὸν καὶ ἀναφορικόν. σημαίνει δὲ καὶ ἐπίρρημα θρηνητικὸν περισπώμενον καὶ ψιλούμενον, ὃ καὶ διπλασιάζεται. αἶ αἶ τάλαινα θηλαμὼν κεκαυμένη.

Betacode

*ai)=: yilou/menon kai\ perispw/menon to\ o)/felon shmai/nei, kata\ a)pokoph\n tou= ai)=qe, dasuno/menon de\ a)/rqron qhluko\n kai\ a)naforiko/n. shmai/nei de\ kai\ e)pi/rrhma qrhnhtiko\n perispw/menon kai\ yilou/menon, o(\ kai\ diplasia/zetai. ai)= ai)= ta/laina qhlamw\n kekaume/nh.

Notes (3)

= Synagoge (Codex B) alpha484, and Photius, Lexicon alpha501; cf. Apollonius Sophistes, Homeric Lexicon 13.19, and Hesychius alpha1652.
1That is, ai(, pronounced like English "high", the nominative plural feminine form of the definite article and the relative pronoun. ↩
2The word translated here as 'adverb', e)pi/rrhma, is perhaps better understood as "interjection" in this context; cf. Dickey 2007: 126-7. ↩
3Lycophron, Alexandra 31; the 'wretched nurse' in this context is the city of Troy.

References

Dickey, E. 1997. Ancient Greek Scholarship. Oxford.

Linked from2 entries

αι91Αἲ αἴai ai!"Ai ai! Who ever would have thought that my appellation would provide a name my sufferings this way?" Aias says [this]. "And now it is fitting even to cry 'aiai!' twice for me and thrice." This is in the manner of the…
αι113Αἴθεo that, would that[ai)/qe means the same as] ei)/qe.

Neighbouring entries

α4754alpha:4754 α4755alpha:4755 αι1Αἶai, if αι2Αἶαearth αι3Αἴαγμαwail, wailing

Revision history7 revisions · last 20 Nov 2015

20 Nov 2015coding and other cosmetics — David Whitehead
10 May 2012coding — Catharine Roth
10 May 2012tweaking — David Whitehead
13 Apr 2008augmented notes, added keywords, cosmetics, raised status — William Hutton
25 Feb 2003cosmetics — Catharine Roth
26 Jun 2001added keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
31 Dec 1999Revised — Eric Nelson
21 May 1999Translated — Anne Mahoney

Cite this entry

Suda On Line, s.v. Αἶ (Adler number alphaiota 1), trans. Anne Mahoney, 21 May 1999. https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/alphaiota/1

Translation by Anne Mahoney for Suda On Line, revised by David Whitehead, Catharine Roth, William Hutton, Eric Nelson, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Shown unchanged, under the same licence, non-commercially. Original on SOL ↗