ἄν, [ᾰ],
Epic dialect, Lyric poetry,
Ionic dialect, [
Refs 4th c.AD+],
Attic dialect; also κεν)
Epic dialect,
Aeolic dialect, Thess, κᾱ
Doric dialect,
Boeotian dialect, El; the two combined in
Epic dialect (below [
Refs 4th c.BC+], εἰκ ἄν[
Refs 4th c.BC+]:—modal Particle used with Verbs to indicate that the action is limited by circumstances or defined by conditions. In [
Refs 8th c.BC+] κε is four times as common as ἄν, in Lyric poetry about equally common. No clear distinction can be traced, but κε as an enclitic is somewhat less emphatic; ἄν is preferred by [
Refs 8th c.BC+] in negative clauses, κε (ν) with the relative.
A) In Simple Sentences, and in the Apodosis of Compound Sentences; here ἄν belongs to the Verb, and denotes that the assertion made by the Verb is dependent on a condition, expressed or implied: thus ἦλθεν
he came, ἦλθεν ἄν
he would have come (under conditions, which may or may not be defined), and so
he might have come; ἔλθοι
may he come, ἔλθοι ἄν
he would come (under certain conditions), and so
he might come. A.I) WITH INDICATIVE:
A.I.1) with historical tenses, generally
imperfect and
aorist, less frequently
pluperfect, never
perfect, see below,
A.I.1.a) most frequently in apodosis of conditional sentences, with protasis implying nonfulfilment of a past or present condition, and
apodosis expressing what
would be or
would have been the case if the condition
were or
had been fulfilled. The
imperfect with ἄν refers to continued action, in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] always in past time, except perhaps καί κε θάμ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἐόντες ἐμισγόμεθ᾽[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; later also in
present time, first in [
Refs 6th c.BC+]; πολὺ ἂν θαυμαστότερον ἦν, εἰ ἐτιμῶντο it
would be far more strange if they were honoured, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐκ ἂν νήσων ἐκράτει, εἰ μή τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν he
would not
have been master of islands if he had not had also some naval power, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]. The
aorist strictly refers only to past time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ τότε ταύτην ἔσχε τὴν γνώμην, οὐδὲν ἂν ὧν νυνὶ πεποίηκεν ἔπραξεν if he had then come to this opinion, he
would have accomplished nothing of what he has now done, [
Refs 4th c.BC+], but is used idiomatically with Verbs of saying, answering, etc, as we say
I should have said, εἰ μὴ πατὴρ ἦσθ᾽, εἶπον ἄν σ᾽ οὐκ εὖ φρονεῖν[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
pluperfect refers to completed actions, as ὃ εἰ ἀπεκρίνω, ἱκανῶς ἂν ἤδη παρὰ σοῦ τὴν ὁσιότητα ἐμεμαθήκη I
should have already learnt,[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.1.b) the protasis is frequently understood: ὑπό κεν ταλασίφρονά περ δέος εἷλεν fear
would have seized even the stout-hearted (had he heard the sound), [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὸ γὰρ ἔρυμα τῷ στρατοπέδῳ οὐκ ἂν ἐτειχίσαντο they
would not
have built the wall (if they had not won a battle), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; πολλοῦ γὰρ ἂν ἦν ἄξια for (if that were so) they
would be worth much, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅ τι ἂν ἐποιεῖτε for there was nothing which you
could have done, i. e.
would have done (if you had tried), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
A.I.1.c) with no definite protasis understood, to express what
would have been likely to happen, or
might have happened in past time: ἢ γάρ μιν ζωόν γε κιχήσεαι, ἤ κεν Ὀρέστης κτεῖνεν ὑποφθάμενος for either you will find him alive, or else Orestes
may already
have killed him before you, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὃ θεασάμενος πᾶς ἄν τις ἀνὴρ ἠράσθη δάϊος εἶναι every man who saw this (the 'Seven against Thebes')
would have longed to be a warrior, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially with τάχα, which see, ἀλλ᾽ ἦλθε μὲν δὴ τοῦτο τοὔνειδος τάχ᾽ ἂν ὀργῇ βιασθὲν μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ φρενῶν, i. e. it
might perhaps
have come, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τάχα ἂν δὲ καὶ ἄλλως πως ἐσπλεύσαντες (i.e. διέβησαν) and they
might also perhaps
have crossed by sea (to Sicily) in some other way, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.1.d) ἄν is frequently omitted in apodosi with Verbs expressing obligation, propriety, or possibility, as ἔδει, ἐχρῆν, εἰκὸς ἦν, etc, and sometimes for rhetorical effect, εἰ μὴ. ᾖσμεν, φόβον παρέσχεν it
had caused (for it
would have caused) fear, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.2) with
future indicative:
A.I.2.a) frequently in
Epic dialect, usually with κεν, rarely ἄν, [
Refs 8th c.BC+] and he
will likely be angry to whom-
soever I shall come, [
Refs]; καί κέ τις ὧδ᾽ ἐρέει and in that case men will say,[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so in Lyric poetry, μαθὼν δέ τις ἂν ἐρεῖ[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.2.b) rarely in codices of
Attic dialect Prose writers, σαφὲς ἂν καταστήσετε[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
future infinitive and
participle see below
A.II) WITH SUBJUNCTIVE, only in
Epic dialect, the meaning being the same as with the
future indicative [
Refs]
I will take her myself, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πείθευ, ἐγὼ δέ κέ τοι εἰδέω χάριν obey and
if so I will be grateful, [
Refs]; also with other persons, giving emphasis to the future, οὐκ ἄν τοι χραίσμῃ κίθαρις[
Refs]
A.III) WITH OPTATIVE (never
future, rarely
perfect πῶς ἂν λελήθοι [με]; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.a) in apodosis of conditional sentences, after protasis in
optative with εἰ or some other conditional or relative word, expressing a
future condition: ἀλλ᾽ εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
present and
aorist optative with κε or ἄν are sometimes used like
imperfect and
aorist indicative with ἄν in Attic, with either regular
indicative or another
optative in the protasis: καί νύ κεν ἔνθ᾽ ἀπόλοιτο. εἰ μὴ. νόησε κτλ, i. e. he
would have perished, had she not perceived, etc, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ νῦν ἐπὶ ἄλλῳ ἀεθλεύοιμεν, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν ἐγὼ. κλισίηνδε φεροίμην if we were now contending in another's honour, I
should now carry, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.b) with protasis in
present or
future, the
optative with ἄν in apodosi takes a simply future sense: φρούριον δ᾽ εἰ ποιήσονται, τῆς μὲν γῆς βλάπτοιεν ἄν τι μέρος they
might perhaps damage, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.c) with protasis understood: φεύγωμεν· ἔτι γάρ κεν ἀλύξαιμεν κακὸν ἦμαρ[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὔτε ἐσθίουσι πλείω ἢ δύνανται φέρειν· διαρραγεῖεν γὰρ ἄν for (if they should do so) they
would burst, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν δ᾽ οὔ κε δύ᾽ ἀνέρε. ἀπ᾽ οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν two men
could not heave the stone from the ground, i. e.
would not, if they should try, [
Refs 8th c.BC+] sometimes with
reference to past time, Τυδεΐδην οὐκ ἂν γνοίης ποτέροισι μετείη[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.III.d) with no definite protasis implied, in potential sense: ἡδέως δ᾽ ἂν ἐροίμην Λεπτίνην but I
would gladly ask Leptines, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; βουλοίμην ἄν I
should like, Latin
velim (but ἐβουλόμην ἄν I
should wish, if it were of any avail,
vellem); ποῖ οὖν τραποίμεθ᾽ ἄ; which way then
can we turn? [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐκ ἂν μεθείμην τοῦ θρόνου I
will not give up the throne, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; idiomatically, referring to the past, αὗται δὲ οὐκ ἂν πολλαὶ εἶεν but these
would not (on investigation) prove to be many, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴησαν δ᾽ ἂν οὗτοι Κρῆτες these
would be (i. e.
would have been) Cretans, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] i.e. it
would not
prove to be, etc. (for, it
is not, etc.), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.e) in questions, expressing a wish: τίς ἂν θεῶν. δοί;[
Refs 5th c.BC+] as a mild command, exhortation, or entreaty, τλαίης κεν Μενελάῳ ἐπιπροέμεν ταχὺν ἰόν[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; σὺ μὲν κομίζοις ἂν σεαυτὸν ᾗ θέλεις you
may take yourself off (milder than κόμιζε σεαυτόν), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω you
may go in, [
Refs]; φράζοις ἄν, λέγοις ἄν, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.f) in a protasis which is also an apodosis: εἴπερ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἀνθρώπων πειθοίμην ἄν, καὶ σοὶ πείθομαι if I
would trust any (other) man (if he gave me his word), I trust you, [
Refs]; εἰ μὴ ποιήσαιτ᾽ ἂν τοῦτο if you
would not do this (if you could), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.g) rarely omitted with
optative in apodosis: ῥεῖα θεός γ᾽ ἐθέλων καὶ τηλόθεν ἄνδρα σαώσαι[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also in Trag, θᾶσσον ἢ λέγοι τις[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.h) ἄν with
future optative is probably always corrupt (compare [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐδέν᾽ ἂν καταλήψοιτο (οὐδένα Bekk.) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV) WITH
infinitive and
participle (sometimes
adjective equivalent to
participle, τῶν δυνατῶν ἂν κρῖναι[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV.1)
present infinitive or
participle:
A.IV.1.a) representing
imperfect indicative, οἴεσθε τὸν πατέρα. οὐκ ἂν φυλάττει; do you think he
would not
have kept them safe? (οὐκ ἂν ἐφύλαττεν), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἀδυνάτων ἂν ὄντων [ὑμῶν] ἐπιβοηθεῖν when you
would have been unable, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV.1.b) representing
present optative, πόλλ᾽ ἂν ἔχων (representing ἔχοιμ᾽ ἄν) ἕτερ᾽ εἰπεῖν παραλείπω[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV.2)
aorist infinitive or
participle:
A.IV.2.a) representing
aorist indicative, οὐκ ἂν ἡγεῖσθ᾽ αὐτὸν κἂν ἐπιδραμεῖ; do you not think he
would even
have run thither? (καὶ ἐπέδραμεν ἄν), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἴσμεν ὑμᾶς ἀναγκασθέντας ἄν we know you
would have been compelled, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἀφεθείς when he
might easily
have been acquitted, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV.2.b) representing
aorist optative, οὐδ᾽ ἂν κρατῆσαι αὐτοὺς τῆς γῆς ἡγοῦμαι I think they
would not even be masters of the land (οὐδ᾽ ἂν κρατήσειαν), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁρῶν ῥᾳδίως ἂν αὐτὸ ληφθέν (ληφθείη ἄν) [
Refs]; οὔτε ὄντα οὔτε ἂν γενόμενα, i.e. things which are not and never
could happen (ἃ οὔτε ἂν γένοιτο), [
Refs]
A.IV.3)
perfect infinitive or
participle representing:
A.IV.3.a)
pluperfect indicative, πάντα ταῦθ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἂν ἑαλωκέναι (φήσειεν ἄν) he
would say that all these
would have been destroyed by the barbarians (ἑαλώκη ἄν), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
A.IV.3.b)
perfect optative, οὐκ ἂν ἡγοῦμαι αὐτοὺς δίκην ἀξίαν δεδωκέναι, εἰ. καταψηφίσαισθε I do not believe they
would (then) have suffered (δεδωκότες ἂν εἶεν) punishment enough, etc, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.IV.4)
future infinitive or
participle, never in
Epic dialect, and probably always corrupt in
Attic dialect, νομίζων μέγιστον ἂν σφᾶς ὠφελήσειν (to be read -ῆσαι) [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
participle is still more exceptional, ὡς ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἂν ποιήσοντος ἄλλα[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; both are found in later Gk, νομίσαντες ἂν οἰκήσειν οὕτως ἄριστα[
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; with
participle, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
B) IN DEPENDENT CLAUSE[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I) In the protasis of conditional sentences with εἰ, regularly with the subjunctive. In Attic εἰ ἄν is contracted into ἐάν, ἤν, or ἄν (ᾱ) (which see): [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἢν ἐγγὺς ἔλθῃ θάνατος, οὐδεὶς βούλεται θνῄσκειν if death (ever) come near, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I.2) in relative or temporal clauses with a conditional force; here ἄν coalesces with ὅτε, ὁπότε, ἐπεί, ἐπειδή, compare ὅταν, ὁπόταν, ἐπήν or ἐπάν (
Ionic dialect ἐπεάν), ἐπειδάν: [
Refs 8th c.BC+], ἐπήν, εὖτ᾽ ἄ; see also εἰσόκε (εἰς ὅ κε):—τάων ἥν κ᾽ ἐθέλωμι φίλην ποιήσομ᾽ ἄκοιτιν whomsoever of these I
may wish, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅταν δὴ μὴ σθένω, πεπαύσομαι when I shall have no strength, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐχθρὸς γάρ μοι κεῖνος. ὅς χ᾽ ἕτερον μὲν κεύθῃ ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἄλλο δὲ εἴπῃ who
ever conceals one thing in his mind and speaks another, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
subjunctive in both the above constructions [
Refs] without ἄ; also Trag. and Comedy texts, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέχρι and πρίν occasionally take
subjunctive without ἄν in prose, e.g. [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (μέχρι οὗ), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I.3) in final clauses introduced by relative
adverbs, as ὡς, ὅπως (of Manner), ἵνα (of Place), ὄφρα, ἕως, etc. (of Time), frequently in
Epic dialect, σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also after ὡς in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
indicative is regular in _Attic dialect_); ἵνα final does not take ἄν or κε except ἵνα εἰδότες ἤ κε θάνωμεν ἤ κεν. φύγοιμεν[
Refs 8th c.BC+] =
where in [
Refs 5th c.BC+] =
lest, takes ἄν only with
optative in apodosis, as [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II) in
Epic dialect sometimes with OPTATIVE as with
subjunctive (always κε (ν), except εἴ περ ἂν αὐταὶ Μοῦσαι ἀείδοιεν[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὥς κε. δοίη ᾧ κ᾽ ἐθέλοι that he
might give her to whomsoever he
might please,[
Refs 8th c.BC+] belongs to Verb in
apodosis, as in ὡς δ᾽ ἂν ἥδιστα ταῦτα φαίνοιτο[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.2) rarely in
oratio obliqua, where a
relative or temporary word retains an ἄν which it would have with
subjunctive in direct form, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—similarly after a preceding
optative, οὐκ ἀποκρίναιο ἕως ἂν. σκέψαιο[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.III) rarely with εἰ and INDICATIVE in protasis, only in
Epic dialect:
B.III.1) with
future indicative as with
subjunctive: αἴ κεν Ἰλίου πεφιδήσεται[
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.III.2) with εἰ and a past tense of
indicative, once in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so Ζεὺς γάρ κ᾽ ἔθηκε νῆσον εἴ κ᾽ ἐβούλετο Oracle texts cited in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.IV) in later Greek, ἄν with relative words is used with INDICATIVE in all tenses, as ὅπου ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο[
NT+4th c.AD+]; ἔνθ᾽ ἂν πέφυκεν ἡ ὁλότης εἶναι[
Refs 6th c.AD+]; compare ἐάν, ὅταν.
C) with
imperfect and more rarely
aorist indicative in ITERATIVE construction, to express elliptically
a condilion fulfilled whenever an opportumty offered; frequently in [
Refs 5th c.BC+] she
would (i. e.
used to) weep and lament, 3.119; εἶτα πῦρ ἂν οὐ παρῆν[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴ τινες ἴδοιεν, ἀνεθάρσησαν ἄν whenever they saw it, on each occasion, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
infinitive representing
imperfect of this
construction, ἀκούω Λακεδαιμονίους τότε ἐμβαλόντας ἂν. ἀναχωρεῖν, i. e. I hear they
used to retire (ἀνεχώρουν ἄν), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
D) GENERAL REMARKS:
D.I) POSITION OF ἄν.
D.I.1) in A, when ἄν does not coalesce with the
relative word (as in ἐάν, ὅταν), it follows directly or is separated only by other particles, as μέν, δέ, τε, γάρ, καί, νυ, περ, etc; as εἰ μέν κεν. εἰ δέ κε[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; rarely by τις, as ὅποι τις ἄν, οἶμαι, προσθῇ[
Refs 8th c.BC+] two such Particles may precede κε, as εἴ περ γάρ κεν[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ γάρ τίς κε, ὃς μὲν γάρ κε, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; rarely in Prose, ὅποι μὲν γὰρ ἄν[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D.I.2) in apodosis, ἄν may stand either next to its Verb (before or after it), or after some other emphatic word, especially an
interrogative, a negative (e. g. οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἷς, οὐκ ἂν ἔτι, etc.), or an important Adjective or Adverb; also after a participle which represents the protasis, λέγοντος ἄν τινος πιστεῦσαι οἴεσθ; do you think they
would have believed it if any one had told them? (εἴ τις ἔλεγεν, ἐπίστευσαν ἄν), [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
D.I.3) ἄν is frequently separated from its
infinitive by such Verbs as οἴομαι, δοκέω, φημί, οἶδα, etc, οὐκ ἂν οἴει; frequently in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ νῦν ἡδέως ἄν μοι δοκῶ κοινωνῆσαι I think that I
should, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἃ μήτε προῄδει μηδεὶς μήτ᾽ ἂν ᾠήθη τήμερον ῥηθῆναι (where ἄν belongs to ῥηθῆναι) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D.I.4) ἄν never begins a sentence, or even a clause after a comma, but may stand first after a parenthetic clause, ἀλλ᾽, ὦ μέλ᾽, ἄν μοι σιτίων διπλῶν ἔδει[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D.II) REPETITION OF ἄν:—in apodosis ἄν may be used twice or even three times with the same Verb, either to make the condition felt throughout a long sentence, or to emphasize certain words, ὥστ᾽ ἄν, εἰ σθένος λάβοιμι, δηλώσαιμ᾽ ἄν[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; attached to a parenthetical phrase, ἔδρασ᾽ ἄν, εὖ τοῦτ᾽ ἴσθ᾽ ἄν, εἰ. [
Refs]
D.II.2) ἄν is coupled with κε (ν) a few times in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
D.III) ELLIPSIS OF VERB:—sometimes the Verb to which ἄν belongs must be supplied, in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν πρὸ τοῦ (i.e. ἔρρεγκον) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί δ᾽ ἂν δοκεῖ σοι Πρίαμος (i.e. πρᾶξαι), εἰ τάδ᾽ ἤνυσε;[
Refs 4th c.BC+] —so in phrases like{πῶς γὰρ ἄν}; and πῶς οὐκ ἄν (i.e. εἴη); also in ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ (or ὡσπερανεί), as φοβούμενος ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ παῖς (i. e. ὥσπερ ἂν ἐφοβήθη εἰ παῖς ἦν) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; so τοσοῦτον ἐφρόνησαν, ὅσον περ ἂν (i.e. ἐφρόνησαν) εἰ.[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; compare κἄν:—so the Verb of a protasis containing ἄν may be understood, ὅποι τις ἂν προσθῇ, κἂν μικρὰν δύναμιν (i. e. καὶ ἐὰν προσθῇ) [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὡς ἐμοῦ οὖν ἰόντος ὅπῃ ἂν καὶ ὑμεῖς (i.e. ἴητε) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
D.IV) ELLIPSIS OF ἄν:—when an apodosis consists of several co-ordinate clauses, ἄν is generally used only in the first and understood in the others: πείθοι᾽ ἂν εἰ πείθοι᾽· ἀπειθοίης δ᾽ ἴσως[
Refs 4th c.BC+]: even when the construction is continued in a new sentence, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] is repeated for the sake of clearness or emphasis,[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B)
ἄν, [ᾱ],
Attic dialect, ={ἐάν},{ἤν}, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἂν θεὸς θέλῃ[
Refs 4th c.BC+]: not common in earlier
Attic dialect Inscrr, [
NT+4th c.BC+]
C)
ἄν or ἀν, Epic form of ἀνά, (which see)
D)
ἄν, shortened from ἄνα, see entry ἀνά G.