μά

English (LSJ)

(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 μἀ 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 Δί' οὐκ εἶδον ἐμαυτοῦ ἀμείνω ὑλοτόμον IG12.1084; μὰ τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὕβρει λέγω τάδ' S.El.881; μὰ τοὺς παρ' Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας, οὔτοι ποτ' 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 . . IG22.1099.30 (ii A.D.); μὰ σέ, Καῖσαρ, οὐδείς σε νικᾷ D.C.61.20: with preceding neg., οὐδ' ὄναρ, μὰ τὰς Μοίρας Herod. 1. II: in answers, when the negation is expressed in the question, οὐκ αὖ μ' ἐάσεις; Answ. μὰ Δί', 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 Δί', ἀλλ' 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. NA3.19; ναὶ μὰ τάς (sc. Χάριτας) Suid. s.v. ναὶ μὰ τό (codd. dett.); οὐ μὰ τὸν—οὐκ ὀμόσω AP12.201 (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.OT660 (lyr.); οὐ τὸν Ὄλυμπον ib. 1088 (lyr.); οὐ τόνδ' Ὄλυμπον Id.Ant.758, cf. El.1063 (lyr.). μά (B), Thess. for δέ, IG9(2).258.11 (Cierium, ii B.C.), 461 A9 (Crannon, ii B.C.); also found at beginning of sentence in POxy. 1216.10 (ii/iii A.D.).μά (C) [ᾱ], Elean for μή, Schwyzer413.5.