μηδείς: Difference between revisions

|Definition=<b class="b3">μηδεμίᾰ, μηδέν</b> (i.e. <b class="b3">μηδὲ εἷς, μηδὲ μία, μηδὲ ἕν</b>): fem. <b class="b3">μηδὲ ἴα</b> or <b class="b3">μηδεΐα</b> (or -<b class="b3">έϊα</b>) <span class="title">IG</span>12(2).6.12 (Mytil.):—<span class="sense"><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">A</span> <b class="b2">not one, not even one, nobody</b> (in neut. <b class="b2">nothing</b>), once in Hom. (who elsewh. uses <b class="b3">μή τις</b>, v. [[μήτις]]), ἀναίνετο μηδὲν ἑλέσθαι <span class="bibl">Il.18.500</span>; μή πως . . μηδὲν ἀνύσσῃς <span class="bibl">Hes.<span class="title">Op.</span>395</span>; μηδὲν ἄγαν <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">Fr.</span>216</span>, etc.: rare in pl. (<b class="b3">μηδαμοί</b> being used in Ion.), μηδένες ἄλλοι <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">HG</span>5.4.20</span>; μηδένας <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Euthd.</span>303c</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> <b class="b3">μηδὲ εἷς</b> (so written) is found in Att. Inscrr., as <span class="title">IG</span>12.114.41, 22.487.9 (<b class="b3">μηδ'</b> hενί ib.12.73.6), but is used esp. in an emphatic sense, <b class="b2">not even one</b>, μηδὲ ἕν <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Pl.</span>37</span>: freq. with an intervening Particle or Prep., μηδ' ἂν ἕνα <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Cra.</span>414d</span>; μηδ' ἐν ἑνὶ χρόνῳ <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Prm.</span>156c</span>; μηδ' ἐξ ἑνός <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Phdr.</span>245d</span>; μηδ' ἐφ' ἑνί <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">R.</span>553d</span>; μηδὲ περὶ ἑνός <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Tht.</span>171c</span>; <b class="b3">μηδ' ὑφ' ἑνός, μηδ' ὑπὸ μιᾶς</b>, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Smp.</span>222d</span>, <span class="title">Alc.</span>1.122a; μηδὲ ὑφ' ἑνός <span class="title">IG</span>12.32.8. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">II</span> <b class="b2">nobody, naught, good for naught</b>, κἄμ' ἴσον τῷ μ. <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OC</span>918</span>: pl., οὐ γὰρ ἠξίου τοὺς μηδένας <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Aj.</span>1114</span>; <b class="b3">μηδέν</b> or <b class="b3">τὸ μηδέν</b> as Subst., <b class="b2">naught, nothing</b>, κεἰ τὸ μ. ἐξερῶ <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Ant.</span>234</span>; <b class="b3">μ. λέγειν</b> to say <b class="b2">what is naught</b>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>8.3.20</span>, etc.; ἡ ἡμετέρη εὐδαιμονίη . . ἀπέρριπται ἐς τὸ μ. <span class="bibl">Hdt.1.32</span>; τοῦ μηδενὸς ἀξίη <span class="bibl">Id.6.137</span>; ἐπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεσθαι <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">El.</span>1000</span>; ἐς τὸ μ. ἥκειν <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Hec.</span>622</span>; of persons, <b class="b3">τὸ μ</b>. <b class="b2">a good-for-nothing</b>, <b class="b3">τὸ μ. εἶναι</b>, of a eunuch, <span class="bibl">Hdt.8.106</span>; τοιγὰρ σὺ δέξαι μ' ἐς τὸ σὸν στέγος, τὴν μηδὲν ἐς τὸ μ. <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">El.</span>1166</span>; κἂν τὸ μ. ὦ <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Tr.</span>1107</span>; τὸ μ. ὄντας <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Aj.</span>1275</span>; <b class="b3">ὁ μ. ὤν</b> ib.<span class="bibl">767</span>; <b class="b3">ὅτ' οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ</b> ib.<span class="bibl">1231</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">1094</span>, <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Hec.</span>843</span>, etc.; <b class="b3">ἧττον αὐτοῖς ἔνι ἢ τὸ μ</b>., i.e. it is a mere impossibility, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Tht.</span>180a</span>; also <b class="b3">μ. εἶναι</b> without the Art., <span class="bibl">Luc.<span class="title">Rh.Pr.</span>2</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">III</span> neut. <b class="b3">μηδέν</b> as Adv., <b class="b2">not at all, by no means</b>, μηδὲν ἐγκέλευ' ἄγαν <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pr.</span>72</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">344</span>; μ. διαφέρειν πλὴν ὀνόματι <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Plt.</span>280a</span>, etc.: with an Adv., μ. αἰνικτηρίως <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pr.</span> 949</span>: freq. with Comp., <b class="b3">μ. μᾶλλον, ἧσσον</b>, etc., <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Aj.</span>280</span>, <span class="bibl">1329</span>, etc.— When other negatives, also derived from <b class="b3">μή</b>, are used with it, they do not destroy, but strengthen the negation, <b class="b3">μηδέποτε μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ποιήσας ἔλπιζε λήσειν</b> <b class="b2">never</b> hope to escape, when you have done <b class="b2">anything</b> base. <span class="bibl">Isoc.1.16</span>; cf. [[μηθείς]].</span>