Μά
by
Translated by Catharine Roth30 Nov 2003Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
Homer uses this as having the status of a syllable. Sometimes however he uses nai/ instead of ma/ , as in "yea by this scepter," when [someone] swears.1 But when [someone] makes a denial on oath, he adds the [particle] of negation, as "no by Apollo."2 And in Odyssey: "no by Zeus, Agelaos."3 But we take ma/ as a part of speech when we say "by Zeus." It is also a precatory adverb.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μά· τοῦτο Ὅμηρος ὡς συλλαβῆς τάξιν ἔχον τίθησι. ποτὲ μέντοι ἀντὶ τοῦ μὰ τῷ ναὶ χρῆται· ὡς, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον· ὅτε ὄμνυσιν. ὅτε δὲ ἀπόμνυσί τι, συζεύγνυσι τὸ τῆς ἀποφάσεως· οἷον, οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα. καὶ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ· οὐ μὰ Ζῆν', Ἀγέλαε. ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸ μὰ ὡς μέρος λόγου ἀπομνύντες παραλαμβάνομεν μὰ τὸν Δία λέγοντες. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπίρρημα ἐπευκτικόν.
Betacode
*ma/: tou=to *(/omhros w(s sullabh=s ta/cin e)/xon ti/qhsi. pote\ me/ntoi a)nti\ tou= ma\ tw=| nai\ xrh=tai: w(s, nai\ ma\ to/de skh=ptron: o(/te o)/mnusin. o(/te de\ a)po/mnusi/ ti, suzeu/gnusi to\ th=s a)pofa/sews: oi(=on, ou) ma\ ga\r *)apo/llwna. kai\ e)n *)odussei/a|: ou) ma\ *zh=n', *)age/lae. h(mei=s de\ to\ ma\ w(s me/ros lo/gou a)pomnu/ntes paralamba/nomen ma\ to\n *di/a le/gontes. e)/sti de\ kai\ e)pi/rrhma e)peuktiko/n.
Notes (3)
- Essentially the same entry (but with an initial 'meaning
ou) ma/ ') in Photius mu1 Theodoridis; similar ones elsewhere.
The difference betweenma/ andnai/ seems to be thatma/ is used without a definite article in the epic -- not surprisingly considering that the definite article was not yet fully developed.*ma/ is usually used in negative sentences, except whennai/ is added. The accusative with these particles was originally the object of a verb of swearing; but later the particle came to be felt as a preposition governing the accusative (which may be what the lexicographer means by calling it a "part of speech"). See Smyth §2894 (web address 1) and 1596.
cf. mu 12, mu 31, nu 96, nu 97, nu 98, nu 350. - 1Homer, Iliad 1.234 (web address 2). ↩
- 2Homer, Iliad 1.86 (web address 3). ↩
- 3Homer, Odyssey 20.339 (web address 4). ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 3 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 4 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from7 entries
- μ12Μὰ γῆν μὰ παγίδας μὰ νεφέλας μὰ δίκτυαby earth (and) by snares (and) by clouds (and) by netsThus they used to swear by random things, [for example] by springs, by rivers. Aristophanes in Birds [sc. illustrates this].
- μ31Μὰ Δίαby ZeusNot saying [this] in the sense of ma\ to\n *di/a, as some suppose: but they used to use it instead of ma\ *di/a, just as [they used] nh\ *di/a in the sense of nai/ ["yes"]. Therefore they say both nai\ *di/a and nai\…
- ν92ΝαίyesAdverb of affirmation. It is also used in oaths with a lowered accent, as in nai\ tw\ qew/ ["by the two goddesses"], that is "by the goddesses."
- ν98Ναὶ μὰ τόνyes by the ..."Yes by my shriveled hide", that is skin. Callimachus in Hecale [sc. uses this phrase. He goes on]: "yes by this tree, dry though it is." The ancients were not inclined to swear by the gods, but by random things. Thus…
- ν348Νὴ τήνby the ...[nh\ th/n means the same as] ma\ th/n. [The expression is] elliptical, like ma\ to/n and ma\ ta/s.
- ν349Νὴ τὴν ἱερὰν κεφαλήνby the sacred headThe [particle] nh/ is an adverb used to swear affirmatively, that is to confirm with an oath, just as ma/ is used to swear negatively, to deny on oath.
- ν350Νὴ τὸνby the ...[nh\ to\n] and nai\ ma\ to/n: these [are expressions used in] affirmative oaths; but ma\ to\n *dia [and] ou) ma\ to/n [are used in] negative oaths. So [it is] the extreme of incorrectness to say, ma\ to\n *di/a poi/hson…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history6 revisions · last 15 Aug 2019
- cosmetics — Catharine Roth
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- upgraded links — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes; tweaks; raised status — David Whitehead
- augmented note, added link — Catharine Roth
- more x-refs; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth