Herbert Weir Smyth [n.d.], A Greek Grammar for Colleges; Machine readable text [info] [word count] [Smyth].

---

Previous Sub2Sect

Next Sub2Sect

1800

Prohibitive Subjunctive.—The subjunctive (in the second and third persons of the aorist) is often used to express prohibitions (negative μή).

a. Usually in the second person: μηδὲν ἀθυ_μήσητε do not lose heart X. A. 5.4.19. For the aorist subjunctive the present imperative may be employed ( ^cross1840): μὴ ποιήσῃς (or μὴ ποίει) ταῦτα do not do this (not μὴ ποιῇς).

b. Less commonly in the third person, which usually represents the second: ὑπολάβῃ δὲ μηδείς and let no one suppose T. 6.84 ( = μὴ ὑπολάβητε do not suppose).

c. The third person of the present subjunctive is rare: μὴ τοίνυν τις οἴηται ( = μὴ οἰώμεθα) let not any one think P. L. 861 E.

N.—οὐ μή with the subjunctive of the second person in the dramatic poets occasionally expresses a strong prohibition: οὐ μὴ ληρήσῃς don't talk nonsense Ar. Nub. 367.

Previous Sub2Sect

Next Sub2Sect

---

Herbert Weir Smyth [n.d.], A Greek Grammar for Colleges; Machine readable text [info] [word count] [Smyth].

---