τε, enclitic Particle, with two main uses (see. infr. A, B).
A) as a Conjunction,
A.I) τε. τε,
both. and, joining single words, phrases, clauses, or sentences, the first τε merely pointing forward to the second, ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; the elements joined by τε. τε are usually short in [
Refs 8th c.BC+], longer in later Gr, e.g. ἐπειδὴ πρόξενοί τέ εἰσιν Ἀθηναίων καὶ εὐεργέται, ἔν τε τῇ στήλῃ γέγραπται [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; χρὴ. τούς τε πρεσβυτέρους ὁμοιωθῆναι τοῖς πρὶν ἔργοις, τούς τε νεωτέρους. μὴ αἰσχῦναι κτλ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τά τε γὰρ ληφθέντα πάντ᾽ ἂν σῴζοιτο οἵ τ᾽ ἀδικήσαντες κατ᾽ ἀξίαν λάβοιεν τὰ ἐπιτίμια Aen.[
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; κλείειν τε τὰ βλέφαρα δεομένων ἐλπιζόντων τε κοιμηθήσεσθαι [
Refs 2nd c.AD+], compare 495,501; this use is common at all times in οὔτε. οὔτε, μήτε. μήτε, εἴτε. εἴτε (which see); τε may be used three or more times, ἔν τ᾽ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζεν [
Refs 8th c.BC+] —ἑνδεκάτη τε δυωδεκάτη τε probably means
the eleventh or twelfth, [
Refs 8th c.BC+] —sometimes τε. τε couples alternatives, ἀπόρως εἶχε δοῦναί τε μὴ δοῦναί τε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; hence we find τε. ἢ, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; on ἢ (or ἦ). τε in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.I.2) the first clause may be negative, the second affirmative, as ἐκκλησίαν τε οὐκ ἐποίει, τήν τε πόλιν ἐφύλασσε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; but οὔτε. τε is more frequently, as οὔτε ποσίν εἰμι ταχύς, γιγνώσκω τε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; we also find οὐ. τε, as οὐχ ἡσύχαζον, παρεκάλουν τε τοὺς ξυμμάχους [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; and μὴ. τε, as ἵνα μή τι διαφύγῃ ἡμᾶς, εἴ τέ τι βούλει κτλ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.3) τε (
both) sometimes corresponds to a following δέ (
and), or τε (
and) to a preceding μέν, e.g.
A.I.3.a) τε. δὲ, as κόμισαί τέ με, δὸς δέ μοι ἵππους [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so with ἅμα δὲ καὶ, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.3.b) μὲν. τε, ἄνδρα μὲν, τρεῖς τε κασιγνήτους [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.I.4) a single τε (
and) joins a word, phrase, or (especially later) clause or sentence to what precedes, τελευτὴν κεφαλήν τε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἕν τε οὐδὲν κατέστη ἴαμα, σῶμά τε αὔταρκες ὂν οὐδὲν διεφάνη, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴς τε τὰς ἄλλας. ἀθροίζεσθαι [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὅ τε γραφεὶς κύκλος. [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; χωρίς τε τούτων [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; καθόλου τε. [
Refs 1st c.BC+]; this τε may be used any number of times, [
NT+8th c.BC+]
A.II) τε. καὶ, or τε καὶ,
both. and, where τε points forward to καί, and usually need not be translated, e.g. Ἀτρείδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; δειλός τε καὶ οὐτιδανὸς καλεοίμην[
Refs]; τῆς τε γῆς ἐούσης ἐπιτηδέης καὶ τῶν ποταμῶν ἐόντων σφι συμμάχων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; sometimes the elements joined by τε. καὶ. are joined in order to be compared or contrasted rather than simply joined, κάκιστος νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπαύσατό τε ὁ ἄνεμος καὶ τὸ κῦμα ἔστρωτο[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; sometimes (like τε. τε) even used of alternatives, διάνδιχα μερμήριξεν, ἵππους τε στρέψαι καὶ ἐναντίβιον μαχέσασθαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.II.2) in this sense τ᾽ ἠδέ is only
Epic dialect, σκῆπτρόν τ᾽ ἠδὲ θέμιστας [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also τε, ἰδέ, χαλκόν τε ἰδὲ λόφον [
Refs]
A.II.3) καὶ. τε,
both. and. , is occasionally found, as καὶ μητέρα πατέρα τ᾽ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.II.3.b) καὶ. τε perhaps means
and. also in καὶ ναυτικῷ τε ἅμα [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.II.4) τε. τε or τε. καὶ. sometimes join elements which are not syntactically parallel, especially a
participle and a finite verb, ἰοῖσίν τε τιτυσκόμενοι λάεσσί τ᾽ ἔβαλλον (for βάλλοντες) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.II.5) the copulative τε[
Refs] it is found about 150 times in [
NT]
B) In
Epic dialect (more rarely in other dactylic verse, see below [
Refs] τε stands in general or frequentative statements or in statements of what is well known; such statements are frequently made as justifications of a preceding particular statement or of a preceding exhortation to a particular person or persons; the sense of τε thus approaches that of τοι (compare τοι and τε in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; although associated with numerous particles and other words of particular types (see. below) its meaning remains independent of these and applies to the whole sentence in which it stands: αἶψά τε φυλόπιδος πέλεται κόρος ἀνθρώποισιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; δύσζηλοι γάρ τ᾽ εἰμὲν ἐπὶ χθονὶ φῦλ᾽ ἀνθρώπων[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; νεμεσσῶμαί γε μὲν οὐδέν· καὶ γάρ τίς τ᾽ ἀλλοῖον ὀδύρεται ἄνδρ᾽ ὀλέσασα. ἢ Ὀδυσῆ᾽ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὃν Βριάρεων καλέουσι θεοί, ἄνδρες δέ τε πάντες Αἰγαίων᾽ [
Refs]; sometimes of repeated action by particular persons, ἄλλοτε μέν τε γόῳ φρένα τέρπομαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἡ δὲ. μ᾽ αἰεὶ. νεικεῖ, καί τέ μέ φησι μάχῃ Τρώεσσιν ἀρήγειν[
Refs]
B.2) in exhortations addressed to an individual, a subsidiary sentence or relative clause in which he is reminded of his special or characteristic sphere of activity is marked by τε, e.g. Ἑρμεία, σοὶ γάρ τε μάλιστά γε φίλτατόν ἐστιν ἀνδρὶ ἑταιρίσσαι καί τ᾽ ἔκλυες ᾧ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσθα, βάσκ᾽ ἴθι. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.3) similarly in general and frequentative statements consisting of two clauses (one of which may be a relative clause, frequently containing the
subjunctive or
optative), in which the fulfilment of the condition stated in the subsidiary or subordinate clause is declared to be generally or always followed by the result stated in the principal clause, either or both clauses may contain τε:
B.3.a) the principal clause alone contains τε, ὅς κε θεοῖς ἐπιπείθηται, μάλα τ᾽ ἔκλυον αὐτοῦ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.3.b) the subordinate clause alone contains τε, λάζετο δ᾽ ἔγχος. τῷ δάμνησι στίχας ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων οἷσίν τε κοτέσσεται ὀβριμοπάτρη [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: it is probably that τε has been replaced by κε in the text of [
Refs 8th c.BC+], and some other passages in which κε seems to be used, exceptionally, in general relative clauses.
B.3.c) both clauses contain τε, ὃς μέν τ᾽ αἰδέσεται κούρας Διὸς ἆσσον ἰούσας, τὸν δὲ μέγ᾽ ὤνησαν καί τ᾽ ἔκλυον εὐχομένοιο [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.4) in the subordinate clause of a collective sentence, in which the principal clause states something to be true of all those (i.e. each individual) to whom the predicate of the subordinate clause applies, ὑπόσχωμαι. κτήματα. πάντα μάλ᾽ ὅσσα τ᾽ Ἀλέξανδρος. ἠγάγετο Τροίηνδ᾽. δωσέμεν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.5) in relative clauses (and in parenthetic principal clauses) which indicate what is customary, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ἱερήϊον οὐδὲ βοείην ἀρνύσθην, ἅ τε ποσσὶν ἀέθλια γίγνεται ἀνδρῶν which are the
usual prizes, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: similarly in clauses with οἷά τε (πολλά), κῆτος ἐπισσεύῃ μέγα δαίμων ἐξ ἁλός, οἷά τε πολλὰ τρέφει. Ἀμφιτρίτη [
Refs]
B.6) in relative clauses indicating what is true of all persons or things denoted by the same word, οὐ γάρ τις νήσων ἱππήλατος οὐδ᾽ εὐλείμων αἵ θ᾽ ἁλὶ κεκλίαται no one of the islands which lie in the sea (as all islands do, i.e. no island at all), [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.7) when the antecedent is a definite group of gods or men, the relative clause with τε indicates an essential characteristic of the antecedent, Ἐρινύες, αἵ θ᾽ ὑπὸ γαῖαν ἀνθρώπους τείνυνται [
Refs 8th c.BC+] or thing, the relative clause with τε indicates one of his or its general or essential characteristics or aspects, οὐ μὰ Ζῆν᾽ ὅς τίς τε θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄριστος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; κεῖται ἀνὴρ ὅν τ᾽ (variant{ὃν}) ἶσον ἐτίομεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ, Αἰνείας [
Refs]; the relative clause sometimes indicates what is customary, οὐδέ σε λήθω τιμῆς ἧς τέ μ᾽ ἔοικε τετιμῆσθαι μετ᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.8) τε is used in descriptions of particular places or things when attention is called to their peculiar or characteristic features, or their position, e.g. Λιβύην, ἵνα τ᾽ ἄρνες ἄφαρ κεραοὶ τελέθουσι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἓξ δέ τέ οἱ (i.e. Σκύλλῃ) δειραὶ περιμήκεες [
Refs]; ἐν δέ τε Γοργείη κεφαλή (in Athena's αἰγίς) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; χαλεπὸν δέ τ᾽ ὀρύσσειν ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι (i.e. μῶλυ) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes τε draws attention to a well-known custom or permanent feature, ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ χώρου, ὅθεν τέ περ οἰνοχοεύει [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.9) a part of the anatomy is defined by a clause (containing τε) which indicates a feature which universally belongs to it, κατ᾽ ἰσχίον, ἔνθα τε μηρὸς ἰσχίῳ ἐνστρέφεται [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; similarly a point of time is defined, ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ, ὅτε τ᾽ ἤματα μακρὰ πέλονται [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.10) τε is used in relative clauses which define a measurement of a particular thing or action by reference to the measurement (in general) of some thing or action well known in daily life, γεφύρωσεν δὲ κέλευθον μακρὴν ἠδ᾽ εὐρεῖαν, ὅσον τ᾽ ἐπὶ δουρὸς ἐρωὴ γίγνεται [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; more rarely the definition is by reference to the measurement of a particular thing or action, ἤσθιε. ἕως ὅ τ᾽ ἀοιδὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἄειδεν[
Refs]
B.11) the frequently use of τε B in similes is to be explained under one or other of the {ταώς} heads, e.g. when reference is made to generally known kinds of things or natural phenomena, to human experience in daily life, or to well-known phenomena of the animal world, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.II) in post-[
Refs 8th c.BC+] Gr. this use of τε is more restricted; outside of
Epic dialect and other early dactylic verse [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; without generalizing force, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (without a verb, as in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; in later Gr. we find exceptionally ἔνθεν τε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπ᾽ οὗ τε [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; οἵ τε [
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἥ τ᾽ [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]; καὶ ἔστιν ἔπη Μαντικὰ ὁπόσα τε (=
which) ἐπελεξάμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
C) in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] τε is also (but less frequently) used in conjunction with other particles in contexts (mainly particular statements) such as the following:
C.1) in assurances, statements on oath, and threats, σχέτλιος, ἦ τ᾽ ἐκέλευον ἀπωσάμενον δήϊον πῦρ ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ τ᾽ ἄν in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; γάρ τε (assuming variant) in οὐ γάρ τ᾽ οἶδα [
Refs 8th c.BC+] (but τ᾽ more probably = τοι, see at {σύ}); δέ τε in ἀγορῇ δέ τ᾽ ἀμείνονές εἰσι καὶ ἄλλοι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μέν τε in σφὼ μέν τε σαώσετε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν [
Refs]; εἴ πέρ τε in οὔ τοι ἔτι δηρόν γε φίλης ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης ἔσσεται, οὐδ᾽ εἴ πέρ τε σιδήρεα δέσματ᾽ ἔχῃσιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.2) also in commands, warnings, and admonitions, σίγα, μή τίς τ᾽ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν τοῦτον ἀκούσῃ μῦθον [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τούσδε τ᾽ (variant δ᾽) ἐᾶν [
Refs]
C.3) also in passionate utterances, in clauses which indicate the cause of the speaker's passion or a circumstance which might have caused others to behave more considerately towards him, ὤ μοι ἐγὼ δειλή. ἥ τ᾽. τὸν μὲν. θρέψασα. ἐπιπροέηκα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἡμεῖς δ᾽ αὖ μαχόμεσθ᾽, οἵ πέρ τ᾽ ἐπίκουροι ἔνειμεν and we, who (
mark you) are only allies (not γαμβροί and κασίγνητοι), are fighting, [
Refs]; τρεῖς γάρ τ᾽ ἐκ Κρόνου εἰμὲν ἀδελφεοί for we,
let me tell you, are three brothers, sons of Cronos (and Zeus has no prior title to power),[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.4) in descriptions of particular events and things where there is no general reference, κνίση μὲν ἀνήνοθεν, ἐν δέ τε φόρμιγξ ἠπύει [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὥς (=
so) τέ μοι ὑβρίζοντες ὑπερφιάλως δοκέουσιν δαίνυσθαι κατὰ δῶμα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πόλιν πέρι δινηθήτην καρπαλίμοισι πόδεσσι, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντες ὁρῶντο uncertain [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so with οὐδέ τ᾽ (nisi to be read οὐδ᾽ ἔτ᾽), τὸν καὶ ὑπέδδεισαν μάκαρες θεοὶ οὐδέ τ᾽ ἔδησαν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.5) ὅτε τε (
when) frequently introduces a temporal clause defining a point of time in the past by means of a well-known event which occurred then, ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε τ᾽ ἐκρέμω ὑψόθε; [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so also ὅτε πέρ τε. κέρωνται[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.6) in ὅ τε (
that or
because) the τε has no observable meaning, χωόμενος ὅ τ᾽ ἄριστον Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲν ἔτισας [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.7) ἐπεί τε = {ἐπεί} (
when) is rare in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.8) where τ᾽ ἄρ occurs in questions, e.g. πῇ τ᾽ ἂρ μέμονας καταδῦναι ὅμιλο; [
Refs 8th c.BC+], ταρ (which see) should probably be read, since ἄρ (α) usually precedes a τε which is not copulative; so perhaps ταρα should be read for τ᾽ ἄρα in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.9) in ἣ θέμις ἐστὶν. ἤ τ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἤ τε γυναικῶν [
Refs 8th c.BC+], it is not clear whether τε is copulative (τε A) or generalizing (τε B) or neither (τε C); ἤ is probably ={ἦ} (accented as in ἤτοι (; ἤ τ᾽ ἀλκῆς ἤ τε φόβοιο is uncertain reading in [
Refs]; ἤ τ᾽ =
or is found in [
Refs]
than in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.10) Rarer and later uses;
C.10.a)
also, especially with ἄλλος, Ἑρμεία, σὺ γὰρ αὖτε τά τ᾽ ἄλλα περ ἄγγελός ἐσσι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ οὖν περὶ τούτων ἐπιστροφὴν μὴ ποιήσει, οἵ τε λοιποί μοι τὰς χεῖρας προσοίσουσιν (-σωσιν Papyrus) [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τῶν δὲ παρὰ ταῦτα ποιησόντων τά τε κτήνη ὑπὸ στέρεσιν ἀχθήσεσθαι πρὸς τὰ ἐκφόρια [
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; see above [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
C.10.b) with ὅδε, adding a slight emphasis to the preceding word, εἰ δὴ τήνδε τε γαῖαν ἀνείρεαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.10.c) τε γάρ rarely ={καὶ γάρ} or γάρ, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐάν τε γάρ for
even if, [
NT]; τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν for I had not known
even lust. [
NT]
D) Position of τε:
D.1) in signf. A, as an enclitic, it stands second word in the sentence, clause, or phrase, regardless of the meaning: ἐγγύθι τε Πριάμοιο καὶ Ἕκτορος near
both Priam and Hector, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τοῖς τε πόνοις καὶ μαθήμασι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: but article + noun, preposition + noun are frequently regarded as forming a unity indivisible by τε, τοῖς κτανοῦσί τε [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; also the order is frequently determined by the meaning, τε being placed immediately after the word (or first word of a phrase or clause) which it joins to what precedes or to what follows, πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; the copulative or preparatory τε precedes many other particles, e.g. τε γάρ, τ᾽ ἄρα, τέ τις.
D.2) τε is enclitic in signfs. B, C also, and stands early in its sentence, clause, or phrase (see. above), but many particles which follow τε in signf. A precede it in signfs. B, C, e.g. in signfs. B, C we have δέ τε, μέν τε, γάρ τε, ἀλλά τε, δ᾽ ἄρα τε, ὅς ῥά τε, οὔτ᾽ ἄρ τε, καὶ γάρ τίς τε, ὅς τίς τε, καί τε.
E) Etymology: signf. A is found also in Sanskrit
ca, Latin
-que; for signfs. B and c cf. Sanskrit
ca in
yá[hudot] káś ca 'whosoever (with following verb)', Latin
-que in
quisque, ubique, plerique, usque, neque, nec (=
non in
necopinans, etc.), Gothic
ni-h 'not' (also 'and not'), Latin
namque (=
nam).