ἀδύνατος: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ἀδύνατον,<br><span class="bld">I</span> of persons, [[unable]] to do a thing, c. inf., [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]3.138, Epich.272, E.''HF''56, etc.; ἀ. [[εἰπεῖν]] Arist.''Rh.''1379a2; <b class="b3">ἀ. ὥστε</b> . . Onos.1.13: Comp., <b class="b3">τὸν δυνατώτερον τοῦ ἀδυνατωτέρου [πλέον ἔχειν]</b> Pl.''Grg.''483d: Sup. ἀδυνατώτατος, [[λέγειν]] Eup.95.<br><span class="bld">2</span> abs., [[without strength]], [[powerless]], [[weakly]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]5.9, [[Euripides|E.]]''[[Ion]]''596, ''Andr.''746; [[οἱ ἀδύνατοι]] = [[men disabled for service]], whether as [[invalid]]s or [[pauper]]s, Lys.24 tit., Arist.''Ath.''49.4; ἐν τοῖς ἀ. μισθοφορεῖν Aeschin.1.103; ἀ. σώματι Lys.2.73; [[ἀδύνατος χρήμασι]] = [[poor]], Th.7.28; [[εἴς]] τι Pl.''Hp.Mi.''366b; [[οἱ ἀδυνατώτατοι]] = [[persons of no importance]], Phld.''Herc.'' 1457.8; of ships, [[disabled]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]6.16; [[τὸ ἀδύνατον]] = [[want of strength]], Pl. ''Hp.Ma.''296a; [[τὰ ἀδύνατα]] = [[disabilities]], D.18.108.<br><span class="bld">II</span> of things, [[impossible]], [[Euripides|E.]]''[[Orestes|Or.]]''665, ''Hel.''1043; [[ἐλπίδες]] [[unrealizable]], Democr.58; [[τὸ ἀδύνατον]] Arist.''Cael.''280b12; [[ἡ εἰς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἀπαγωγή]] = [[reductio ad impossibile]], APr. 29b5; ὁ διὰ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου [[συλλογισμός]], ἡ διὰ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου [[δεῖξις]], ib.34b30, 45a35; ἀδύνατα βούλομαι Lync.1.12:—<b class="b3">ἀδύνατόν [ἐστι]</b> c. inf., [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]1.32, al.; <b class="b3">ἀδύνατά [ἐστι]</b> Pi.''P.''2.81, [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]1.91, 6.106, Th.1.59; <b class="b3">ἀ. ὑμῖν ὥστε</b> . . Pl.''Prt.''338c; ὑμέας καταλελάβηκε ἀ. τι [[βοηθέω|βοηθέειν]] [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]9.60; [[τὰ ἀδύνατα]] [[καρτερεῖν]] E.''IA''1370; [[τολμᾶν]] ἀδύνατα Id.''Hel.''811; ἀδυνάτων [[ἐρᾶν]] Id.''HF''318, cf. Luc.''DDeor.''8, etc.; [[proverb|prov.]], [[ἀδύνατα θηρᾷς]] = [[you are hunting impossible things]] Macar.1.26: Comp. <b class="b3">ἀδυνατώτερον, ἔτι . . εἰ οἷόν τε</b> . . [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Theaetetus|Tht.]]''192b, cf. ''Prm.''138d: Sup., ὃ δὴ πάντων ἀδυνατώτατον Id.''Phlb.''15b.<br><span class="bld">III</span> Adv. [[ἀδυνάτως]] = [[without power]] or [[without skill]], [[feebly]], [[ἀμύνεσθαι]] Antipho 4.3.3, cf. 3.3.4 (Comp.), Lys.12.3:—[[ἀδυνάτως ἔχειν]] to [[be unwell]], Pl.''Ax.''364b; to [[be unable]], c. inf., Arist. ''Rh.Al.''1435a16; [[ἀδυνάτως ἔχει]] = [[it is impossible]], Epicur.''Ep.''2p.49U.; [[ἀδυνάτως λέγεται]] = [[it is an impossible story]], Phld.''Rh.''2.122 S.—Rare in poetry: Trag. only in E.