μά

μά (A) [pron. full] [ᾰ], Particle used in asseverations and oaths, c. acc. of the deity or thing appealed to; in itself neither affirmative nor negative, but made so by prefixing ναί or οὐ, or, in [dialect] Att., by the context: thus,

I ναὶ μὰ . . , in affirmation, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον yea by this staff, Il.1.234, cf. h.Merc.460;

ναὶ μὰ γὰρ ὅρκον Pi.N.11.24

; ναὶ μὰ Δία, ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία, etc., Ar.Ach.88, Pl.R.407b, etc.; also

μὰ ναί Inscr.Cypr.109

H.

II οὐ μὰ . . , in negation, οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα, οὐ μἀ Ζῆνα, nay, by . . , Il.1.86, 23.43;

οὐ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν Ἄρτεμιν S. El.626

;

οὔ τοι μὰ τοὺς δώδεκα θεούς Ar.Eq.235

; οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία, οὔκουν οὕτω γε . . Pl.Tht.142e.

III after Hom. μά is freq. used alone,

1 chiefly in negation when the negative follows,

μὰ Δί' οὐκ εἶδον ἐμαυτοῦ ἀμείνω ὑλοτόμον IG12.1084

; μὰ τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὕβρει λέγω τάδ' S.El.881;

μὰ τοὺς παρ' Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας, οὔτοι ποτ' ἔσται τοῦτο E.Med.1059

;

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, οὔκ Ar.Th.269

, cf. A.Ag.1432, E.Cyc.262, Pl.Prt.312e;

μὰ τὴν γῆν, μὴ σύγε δῷς Anaxil.9

;

μὰ δαίμονας, οὐκ ἀπὸ ῥυσμοῦ εἰκάζω Call.Epigr.44

; μὰ τὸν Δία δὲ οὐδὲ νομίζω . . IG22.1099.30 (ii A.D.);

μὰ σέ, Καῖσαρ, οὐδείς σε νικᾷ D.C.61.20

: with preceding neg.,

οὐδ' ὄναρ, μὰ τὰς Μοίρας Herod. 1

. II: in answers, when the negation is expressed in the question, οὐκ αὖ μ' ἐάσεις; Answ.

μὰ Δί', ἐπεὶ κἀγὼ πόνηρός εἰμι Ar.Eq.336

, cf. 338 (where οὐκ ἐάσω is to be supplied after μὰ Δία from the question, cf. Ra.951, Pl.400): when ἀλλά follows, δύο δραχμὰς μισθὸν τελεῖς; Answ.

μὰ Δί', ἀλλ' ἔλαττον Id.Ra.174

(where οὐ τελῶ is understood, cf. ib. 753, 779, 1053, X.Mem.3.13.3): in

μὰ γῆν, μὰ κρήνας, μὰ ποταμούς, μὰ νάματα Antiph.296

= Timocl.38, the context is missing.

b in reply to an imper., ἀπόδος αὐτό; Answ.

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω Ar.Th. 748

.

2 in later Gr. in affirmation,

δακρύω μὰ σέ, δαῖμον Annales du Service 27.32

([place name] Egypt);

μὰ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν Ἀκοντίῳ γαμοῦμαι Aristaenet. 1.10

, cf. Ach.Tat.8.5.

IV in colloquial discourse, esp. [dialect] Att. (cf. Greg.Cor.p.150 S., Ph.2.271), the name of the deity sworn by was often suppressed, to avoid a downright oath,

μὰ τόν Ar.Ra.1374

(lyr.), Pl.Grg.466e;

μὰ τήν Men.369

;

ναὶ μὰ τόν Call.Fr.66d

, Ael. NA3.19; ναὶ μὰ τάς (sc. Χάριτας) Suid. s.v. ναὶ μὰ τό (codd. dett.);

οὐ μὰ τὸν—οὐκ ὀμόσω AP12.201

(Strat.), cf. 7.112 (D.L.).

V μά is sts. omitted after ναί (q. v.); also after

οὐ, οὐ τὸν πάντων θεῶν θεὸν πρόμον Ἅλιον S.OT660

(lyr.); οὐ τὸν Ὄλυμπον ib. 1088 (lyr.);

οὐ τόνδ' Ὄλυμπον Id.Ant.758

, cf. El.1063 (lyr.).

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μά (B), Thess. for δέ, IG9(2).258.11 (Cierium, ii B.C.), 461 A9 (Crannon, ii B.C.); also found at beginning of sentence in POxy.1216.10 (ii/iii A.D.).

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μά (C) [pron. full] [ᾱ], Elean for μή, Schwyzer413.5.