ἄν: Difference between revisions

|mdlsjtxt=1<br />[[Perseus]].<br />conditional Particle. In [[attic]], it is not joined with pres. or perf. ind., nor with imperat. of any tense. Three uses of ἄν must be [[distinguished]] in [[practice]]:<br />A. in [[combination]] with Conjunctions and Relatives.<br />B. in Apodosis.<br />C. in Iterative sentences.<br />A. in combinations with Conjunctions and Relatives:<br /><b class="num">I.</b> [[such]] words are [[regularly]] foll. by the subj., viz. ἐάν (= εἰ ἄν) ἤν, ἄν, [[ἐπήν]]; ὃς ἄν quicunque, πρὶν ἄν, etc.; [[ἐπειδάν]], [[ὅταν]], [[ὁπόταν]]: the [[protasis]] [[generally]] has a fut. in [[apodosis]], εἰ δέ κεν ὣς ἔρξηις, γνώσηι if [[perchance]] thou do [[thus]], thou shalt [[know]], Il.<br /><b class="num">II.</b> in epic [[sometimes]] with Opt., ὥς κε δοίη ὧι κ' ἐθέλοι that he [[might]] [[give]] her to whomsoever he [[might]] [[please]], Od.: in [[such]] cases κε or ἄν does not [[affect]] the Verb.<br /><b class="num">III.</b> in epic, [[sometimes]] with εἰ and Ind., οἵ κέ με τιμήσουσι Il.<br /><b class="num">IV.</b> in [[late]] Greek, ἐάν, etc., [[take]] Ind., ἐὰν οἴδαμεν NTest.<br />B. combined IN APODOSIS with the Verb, denoting that the [[assertion]] is [[dependent]] on [[some]] [[condition]]; ἦλθεν he came, ἦλθεν ἄν he would [[have]] [[come]]; ἔλθοι may he [[come]], ἔλθοι ἄν he would [[come]]:<br /><b class="num">I.</b> with Ind.:<br /><b class="num">1.</b> with imperf. and aor., the [[protasis]] implies non-[[fulfilment]] of a [[condition]], and the apod. expresses [[what]] would be or would [[have]] been the [[case]] if the [[condition]] were or had been [[fulfilled]]. The imperf. with ἄν refers to continued [[action]] in [[present]] or [[past]] [[time]], the aor. [[generally]] to [[action]] in [[past]] [[time]]; οὐκ ἂν νήσων ἐκράτει, εἰ μὴ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν he would not [[have]] been [[master]] of islands if he had not had a [[fleet]], Thuc.; εἰ ταύτην ἔσχε τὴν γνώμην, οὐδὲν ἂν ἔπραξεν if he had [[come]] to [[this]] [[opinion]], he would [[have]] [[accomplished]] [[nothing]], Dem.:—the [[protasis]] is often understood, οὐ γὰρ ἦν [[ὅ τι]] ἂν ἐποιεῖτε for [[there]] was [[nothing]] [[which]] you could [[have]] done (i. e. if you had [[tried]]), Dem.:—[[hence]] the Ind. with ἄν represents a potential [[mood]]; ἦλθε [[τοῦτο]] [[τοὔνειδος]] τάχ' ἄν [[this]] [[reproach]] [[might]] [[perhaps]] [[have]] [[come]], Soph.<br /><b class="num">2.</b> in epic, with fut. ind., so as to [[modify]] the [[simple]] fut.; καί κέ τις ὧδ' ἐρέει and [[some]] one [[will]] [[perchance]] [[speak]] [[thus]], Il.<br /><b class="num">II.</b> with Subj., in epic, [[much]] like fut. ind., εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώηισιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς [[ἕλωμαι]], i. e. I [[will]] [[take]] her [[myself]], Il.<br /><b class="num">III.</b> with Opt.:<br /><b class="num">1.</b> [[after]] [[protasis]] in opt. with εἰ or [[some]] [[relative]] [[word]], εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη if he should [[obey]] me, it would be [[much]] [[better]], Il.; [[sometimes]] with ind. in [[protasis]], καί νύ κεν ἔνθ' ἀπόλοιτο, εἰ μὴ νόησε he would [[have]] perished, had she not perceived, Dem.:—[[sometimes]] the tense in [[protasis]] is pres. or fut., and the opt. with ἄν in [[apodosis]]= fut., [[φρούριον]] εἰ ποιήσονται, βλάπτοιεν ἄν if they shall [[build]] a [[fort]], they [[might]] [[perhaps]] [[damage]], Thuc.<br /><b class="num">2.</b> the [[protasis]] is often understood: τὸν δ' οὔ κε δύ' ἀνέρε [[ὀχλίσσειαν]] two men could not [[heave]] the [[stone]] (i. e. if they should try), Il.:—[[hence]] the opt. with ἄν becomes a potential [[mood]], βουλοίμην ἄν I should like, Lat. [[velim]] (but ἐβουλόμην ἄν I should [[wish]], if it were of any [[avail]], vellem).<br /><b class="num">3.</b> the opt. with ἄν [[comes]] to [[have]] the [[force]] of a [[mild]] [[command]] or [[entreaty]], χωροῖς ἂν [[εἴσω]] you may go in, Soph.; κλύοις ἂν ἤδη [[hear]] me now, Soph.<br /><b class="num">IV.</b> with inf. and [[part]].:—the pres. inf. or [[part]]. represents imperf. ind., φησὶν αὐτοὺς ἐλευθέρους ἂν [[εἶναι]], εἰ [[τοῦτο]] ἔπραξαν he says they would (now) be [[free]], if they had done [[this]], Dem.; ἀδυνάτων ἂν ὄντων [[ὑμῶν]] ἐπιβοηθεῖν [[when]] you would [[have]] been [[unable]] to [[assist]], Thuc.;—or represents pres. opt., φησὶν αὐτοὺς ἐλευθέρους ἂν [[εἶναι]], εἰ [[τοῦτο]] πράξειαν he says they would ([[hereafter]]) be [[free]], if they should do [[this]], Xen.;—the aor. inf. or [[part]]. represents aor. ind. or opt., οὐκ ἂν ἡγεῖσθ' αὐτὸν κἂν [[ἐπιδραμεῖν]]; do you not [[think]] he would [[even]] [[have]] run [[thither]]? Dem.; οὐδ' ἂν κρατῆσαι αὐτοὺς τῆς γῆς ἡγοῦμαι I [[think]] they would not [[even]] be masters of the [[land]], Thuc.; [[οὔτε]] [[ὄντα]] [[οὔτε]] ἂν [[γενόμενα]], i. e. things [[which]] are not and [[never]] could [[happen]], Thuc.:—so the perf. (or plup.) inf. or partic., πάντα ταῦθ' ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἂν ἑαλωκέναι [φήσειεν ἄν] he would say that all these would [[have]] been destroyed by the barbarians, Dem.<br />C. with imperf. and aor. ind. in the ITERATIVE [[construction]], to [[express]] a [[condition]] [[fulfilled]] [[whenever]] an [[opportunity]] offered; [[εἶτα]] πῦρ ἂν οὐ [[παρῆν]] then [[there]] would be no [[fire]] at [[hand]], i. e. [[there]] [[never]] was, Soph.; διηρώτων ἂν αὐτοὺς τί λέγοιεν Plat.<br />D. GENERAL REMARKS:<br /><b class="num">I.</b> Position of ἄν.<br /><b class="num">1.</b> ἄν may be separated from its inf. by [[such]] verbs as [[οἴομαι]], [[δοκέω]], so that ἄν has the [[appearance]] of belonging to the pres. ind., καὶ νῦν [[ἡδέως]] ἄν μοι δοκῶ κοινωνῆσαι I [[think]] that I should, Xen.:—in the [[peculiar]] [[case]] of οὐκ οἶδ' ἂν εἰ, ἄν belongs not to [[οἶδα]] but to the Verb [[which]] follows, οὐκ οἶδ' ἂν εἰ πείσαιμι = οὐκ [[οἶδα]] εἰ πείσαιμι ἄν, Eur.<br /><b class="num">2.</b> ἄν [[never]] begins a [[sentence]].<br /><b class="num">II.</b> Repetition of ἄν:— in [[apodosis]] ἄν may be [[repeated]] with the [[same]] verb, ὥστ' ἄν, εἰ [[σθένος]] λάβοιμι, δηλώσαιμ' ἄν Soph. <br />2 = ἐάν, ἤν, often in Plat., etc.; cf. κἄν.]