Included with:
οὐ, the negative of
fact and
statement, as μή of
will and
thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective. —The same differences hold for all compounds of οὐ and μή, and some examples of οὐδέ and οὐδείς are included below.—As to the Form, see infr. G. USAG[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
I) as the negative of single words,
II) as the negative of the sentence.
I) οὐ adhering to single words so as to form a quasi-
compound with them:—with Verbs: οὐ δίδωμι
withhold, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐκ εἰῶ
prevent, [
Refs]; οὐκ ἐθέλω
refuse, [
Refs]; οὔ φημι
deny, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; but sometimes οὐ is retained, εἰ δ᾽ ἂν. οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐάντε. οὐ (variant{μή}) φῆτε ἐάντε φῆτε [
Refs 8th c.BC+] —On the use of οὐ in contrasts, see below [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II) as negativing the whole sentence,
II.1) οὐ is frequently used alone, sometimes with the ellipsis of a definite Verb, οὔκ (i.e. ἀποκερῇ), ἄν γε ἐμοὶ πείθῃ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: sometimes as negativing the preceding sentence, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] and the
accusative; sometimes without μά, οὐ τὸν πάντων θεῶν θεὸν πρόμον Ἅλιον [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2) with
indicative of statement, τὴν δ᾽ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ φθίνει Κροίσου φιλόφρων ἀρετά [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.3) with
subjunctive in
future sense, only in
Epic dialect, οὐ γάρ τίς με βίῃ γε ἑκὼν ἀέκοντα δίηται [
Refs]
II.4) with
optative in potential sense (without ἄν or κεν), also
Epic dialect, ὃ οὐ δύο γ᾽ ἄνδρε φέροιεν [
Refs]
II.5) with
optative and ἄν, κείνοισι δ᾽ ἂν οὔ τις. μαχέοιτο [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.6) in dependent clauses οὐ is used,
II.6.a) with ὅτι or ὡς, after Verbs of saying, knowing, and showing, ἐκ μέν τοι ἐρέω. ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν κατερύκομαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: so with
indicative or
optative and ἄν, ἀπελογοῦντο ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε οὕτω μωροὶ ἦσαν [
Refs 5th c.BC+] in such sentences, see at {μή} [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.6.b) in all causal sentences, and in temporal and Relat. sentences unless there is conditional or final meaning, χωσαμένη, ὅ οἱ οὔ τι θαλύσια. ῥέξε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: in causal relative sentences, οἵτινές σε
οὐχὶ ἐσώσαμεν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially in the combinations, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὐ, as οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἐραστὴς ὅστις οὐκ ἀεὶ φιλεῖ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδείς ἐστιν ὅστις οὐ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.6.c) after ὥστε with
indicative or
optative with ἄν, ὥστ᾽ οὐ δυνατόν σ᾽ εἵργειν ἔσται [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
infinitive is almost invariably due to indirect speech, ὥστ᾽ οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθαι (for οὐκ αἰσχύνονται) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]—Rarely not in indirect speech, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.7) in a conditional clause μή is necessary, except,
II.7.a) in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] clause precedes the apodosis and the verb is
indicative, εἰ δέ μοι οὐκ ἐπέεσσ᾽ ἐπιπείσεται [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.7.b) when the εἰ clause is really causal, as after Verbs expressing surprise or emotion, μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πολλὰ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐ πρέπει σοι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.7.c) when οὐ belongs closely to the next word (see. [
Refs 4th c.BC+], or is quoted unchanged, εἰ, ὡς νῦν φήσει, οὐ παρεσκευάσατο [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰ δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ἐστί (i.e. ὥσπερ λέγεις), τίνι τρόπῳ διεφθάρη
; [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.8) οὐ is used with
infinitive in indirect speech, when it represents the
indicative of orat. recta, φαμὲν δέ οἱ οὐ τελέεσθαι [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes we have οὐ and μή in consecutive clauses, οἶμαι σοῦ κάκιον οὐδὲν ἂν τούτων κρατύνειν μηδ᾽ ἐπιθύνειν χερί [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.9) οὐ is used with the
participle, when it can be resolved into a finite sentence with οὐ, as after Verbs of knowing and showing, τὸν κατθανόνθ᾽ ὁρῶντες οὐ τιμώμενον [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; or into a causal sentence, τῶν βαρβάρων οἱ πολλοὶ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ διεφθάρησαν νέειν οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; or into a concessive sentence, δόξω γυναῖκα καίπερ οὐκ ἔχων ἔχειν [
Refs 5th c.BC+] and
participle, ὡς οὐχὶ συνδράσουσα νουθετεῖς τάδε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—for exceptions, see at {μή} [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.9.b) when the
participle is used with the
Article, μή is generally used, unless there is a distinct reference to a fact, when οὐ is occasionally found, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οὐκ οὔσης ἔτι [πόλεως] ὁρμώμενοι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.10) Adjectives and abstract Substantives with the article commonly take μή (see. μή [
Refs 5th c.BC+] is occasionally used, τὰς οὐκ ἀναγκαίας πόσεις [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν τῶν γεφυρῶν οὐ διάλυσιν the
non- dissolution of the bridges, the fact
of their notbeing broken up, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; so without the article, ἐν οὐ καιπῷ [
Refs]
II.11) for οὐ μή, see entry
II.12) in questions οὐ ordinarily expects a positive answer, οὔ νυ καὶ ἄλλοι ἔασι.
; [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐχ ὁράᾳς.
; dost thou
not see? [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: so as a strong form of
imperative;[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐμὸς μὲν
οὐχί [
NT+5th c.BC+]: the diphthong is genuine and always written ου (ουκ, ουδε, etc.) in early Inscrr, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐ abbreviated ο, Suid. see at {Φιλοξένου γραμμάτιον}.
H) ACCENTUATION. οὐ is oxytone
accusative to Hdn.Gr.1.494 (text doubtfulin 504): [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
H.I) οὐ in connexion with other Particles will be found in alphabetical order, οὐ γάρ, οὐ μή, etc.—The corresponding forms of μή should be compared.