ἀ

ἀ-, as insep. Prefix in compos.:

I α στερητικόν (Sch.Od. 3.279, etc., cf. Eust.985.16), expressing want or absence (cf. Arist. Metaph.1022b32), as σοφός wise, ἄσοφος unwise: for n?ἀX, the weak form of the negative ne, commonly used in the formation of adjs. and advbs., very rarely in that of vbs. and substs., cf. ἀδώτης, ἀτιμάω, ἀτίω. Before a vowel it usu. appears as ἀν- (exc. where ϝ or spiritus asper has been lost, as ἄ-οινος, ἄ-υπνος, when it sts. coalesces with the following vowel, as ἀργός = ἀ-ϝεργός): the forms ἀνάεδνος, ἀνάελπτος are probably misspelt for ἀν-έϝεδνος, -έϝελπτος. Adjs. formed with it freq. take gen., esp. in Trag., cf. ἀλαμπὲς ἡλίου, = ἄνευ λάμψεως ἡλίου, S.Tr.691. [ᾰ, exc. in adjs. which begin with three short syllables, which have [pron. full] ᾱ in [dialect] Ep., and freq. also in Lyr., Trag., and Com.; ἀθάνατος invariably has ᾱθ.]

II α ἀθροιστικόν (Eust. 641.61;

τὸ ἄλφα σημαίνει πολλαχοῦ τὸ ὁμοῦ Pl.Cra.405c

), properly ἁ-since it represents sm- (cf. ἅμα, εἷς = sems), and so in ἁπλόος, ἁθρόος: but freq. ἀ- by dissimilation from following aspirate, as ἄ-λοχος, and hence by analogy in ἄ-κοιτις, etc., q.v.: sts. in the form ὀ-, as in ὄπατρος, ὀγάστριος, ὄζυξ. [ᾰ.]

III α ἐπιτατικόν (Eust. 641.61), strengthening the force of compds., as ἀ-τενής; prob. identical in etymology with 11, from which it is distinguished by Gramm., who sts. confuse it with 1; v. ἀδάκρυτος. [ᾰ.]

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ἀ- as a prothetic vowel, usually before a double consonant, as ἀ-βληχρός, ἀ-σπαίρω; sts. before a single consonant, as ἀ-μέλγω; before a vowel where ϝ is lost, as ἀ-ϝείδω. [ᾰ.]