οὐ μή, in independent sentences, is used either in Denial or in Prohibition:
I) in Denial,
I.1) with
subjunctive,
I.1.a) chiefly of
aorist, οὔ τι μὴ ληφθῶ δόλῳ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.1.b) rarely of
present, mostly with Verbs expressing possibility or ability, οὐ μὴ δύνηται (variant{δυνήσεται}) [
Refs 5th c.BC+], and this has been adopted by most
editions; and in [
Refs 4th c.BC+] with
subjunctive probably arose from the ellipsis of a Verb or phrase expressing fear or apprehension; such words are sometimes expressed, οὐ γὰρ ἦν δεινὸν. μὴ ἁλῷ κοτε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]—Sts. there is no idea of fear, as in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; the
construction is freely used after ὅτι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; after ὡς,
since, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; after ὥστε, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.2) with
future indicative, οὔ σοι μὴ μεθέψομαί ποτε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ μὴ δέξονται (variant{δέξωνται}) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: or
infinitive, εἶπεν. οὐ μή ποτε. εὖ πράξειν πόλιν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II) in Prohibition, οὐ μή is used interrogatively with
future indicative (chiefly of the 2 _person_) so as to express a strong prohibition, οὐ μὴ 'ξεγερεῖς τὸν ὕπνῳ κάτοχο; ={μὴ ἐξέγειρε},[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ μὴ προσοίσεις χεῖρα μηδ᾽ ἅψῃ πέπλων
; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ μὴ προσοίσεις χεῖρα βακχεύσεις δ᾽ ἰών
;[
Refs]
II.2) later οὐ μὴ ἐμπέσω
let me not fall, [
LXX]
II.3) in questions, οὐ μή, = Latin
nonne, ὁ θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ
; [
NT]
III) in [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
; seems to mean
keep silent and say nothing, σῖγα being short for σιγήσει and καὶ being omitted: similarly, οὐ σῖγ᾽ ἀνέξει, μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρῇ
; submit silently and do not play the coward, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]