LOGOI

The corpus record

μά

ma

by, by

Generated live from the audited corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.

Where it lives

  • Symposium 26 · 27.3/10k
  • Apology 4 · 20/10k
  • Lysis 13 · 18.71/10k
  • Hipparchus 4 · 17.75/10k
  • Economics 30 · 16.86/10k
  • Hiero 9 · 15.1/10k
  • Theages 5 · 14.39/10k
  • Ion 5 · 12.46/10k
  • Memorabilia 43 · 12.04/10k
  • Ichneutae 2 · 11.63/10k
  • Euthydemus 14 · 11.25/10k
  • Hippias Major 9 · 10.66/10k

Densest 12 of 48 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant — LSJ

1. μά · ma

I by

ναὶ μὰ . . , in affirmation, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον yea by this staff, Il. 1.234, cf. h.Merc. 460; ναὶ μὰ γὰρ ὅρκον Pi. N. 11.24; ναὶ μὰ Δία, ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία, etc., Ar. Ach. 88, Pl. R. 407b, etc.; also μὰ ναί Inscr.Cypr. 109 H.

II by

οὐ μὰ . . , in negation, οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα, οὐ μὰ Ζῆνα, nay, by . . , Il. 1.86, 23.43; οὐ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν Ἄρτεμιν S. El. 626; οὔ τοι μὰ τοὺς δώδεκα θεούς Ar. Eq. 235; οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία, οὔκουν οὕτω γε . . Pl. Tht. 142e.

III

after Hom. μά is freq. used alone,

1

chiefly in negation when the negative follows, μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ εἶδον ἐμαυτοῦ ἀμείνω ὑλοτόμον IG 1(2).1084; μὰ τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὕβρει λέγω τάδʼ S. El. 881; μὰ τοὺς παρʼ Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας, οὔτοι ποτʼ ἔσται τοῦτο E. Med. 1059; μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, οὔκ Ar. Th. 269, cf. A. Ag. 1432, E. Cyc. 262, Pl. Prt. 312e; μὰ τὴν γῆν, μὴ σύγε δῷς Anaxil. 9; μὰ δαίμονας, οὐκ ἀπὸ ῥυσμοῦ εἰκάζω Call. Epigr. 44; μὰ τὸν Δία δὲ οὐδὲ νομίζω . . IG 2(2).1099.30 (ii A.D.); μὰ σέ, Καῖσαρ, οὐδείς σε νικᾷ D.C. 61.20:

b

in reply to an imper., ἀπόδος αὐτό; Answ. μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω Ar. Th. 748.

2

in later Gr. in affirmation, δακρύω μὰ σέ, δαῖμον Annales du Service 27.32 (Egypt); μὰ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν Ἀκοντίῳ γαμοῦμαι Aristaenet. 1.10, cf. Ach.Tat. 8.5.

IV

in colloquial discourse, esp. Att. (cf. Greg.Cor. p.150 S., Ph. 2.271), the name of the deity sworn by was often suppressed, to avoid a downright oath, μὰ τόν Ar. Ra. 1374 (lyr.), Pl. Grg. 466e; μὰ τήν Men. 369; ναὶ μὰ τόν Call. Fr. 66d, Ael. NA 3.19; ναὶ μὰ τάς (sc. Χάριτας) Suid. s.v. ναὶ μὰ τό (codd. dett.); οὐ μὰ τὸν — οὐκ ὀμόσω AP 12.201 (Strat.), cf. 7.112 (D.L.).

V

μά is sts. omitted after ναί (q. v.); also after οὐ, οὐ τὸν πάντων θεῶν θεὸν πρόμον Ἅλιον S. OT 660 (lyr.); οὐ τὸν Ὄλυμπον ib. 1088 (lyr.); οὐ τόνδʼ Ὄλυμπον Id. Ant. 758, cf. El. 1063 (lyr.).

2. μᾶ · ma

= μῆτερ γῆ, A. Supp. 890, 899 (both lyr.): as an exclam. used by women (perh. = Demeter), Herod. 1.85, 4.20; μᾶ, πόθεν ὥνθρωπος; Theoc. 15.89.

In the wild

6 of 395 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

  • Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) Treated in Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) s.v. μά (scan p. 938; entry #3848).
  • Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque Treated in Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque s.v. μά (scan p. 673; entry #4973).
  • Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. μά (scan p. 1126; entry #3663).

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