μηδείς: Difference between revisions

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