unless
unless
conj.
P. and V. εἰ μή, ἐὰ̄ν μή, ἢν μή, πλὴν εἰ, πλὴν ἐά̄ν ; see except.
conj.
P. and V. εἰ μή, ἐὰ̄ν μή, ἢν μή, πλὴν εἰ, πλὴν ἐά̄ν ; see except.
UNLESS
nisi: ni: si non (nisi is used when the whole conditional clause is negatived without particular stress on anyone notion contained in it: si non is used when there is emphasis on one notion; i.e. the verb which is contrasted with the opposite affirmative proposition expressed or understood. But even where there is opposition nisi is sometimes used; i.e. the opposition is not marked; e.g. matris verbis Philocomasium arcessito ut si itura siet Athenas tecum eat: nisi eat te soluturum esse navim. Plaut. Mil. Glor. 4 4 48; Haase ad Reisig. p. 457). Unless perchance nisi forte: nisi vero (often ironical: with indicative; hence not nisi forte aptius et commodius esset scribere etc. but est). In Cic. nisi vero [ = εἰ μή γε] often introduces a supposition the manifest absurdity of which is to establish the truth of the other supposition previously stated to be true (Hand iv. p. 233). ☞ An excepted case (added correctively) is more emphatically stated by nisi si; e.g. noli putare me ad quenquam longiores epistolas scribere quam adte nisi si qui ad me plura scripsit etc. So nisi si quis est etc. (Cic.): ☞ praeterquam si is post-classical; e.g. Plin. 8 25 39.
nisi: ni: si non (nisi is used when the whole conditional clause is negatived without particular stress on anyone notion contained in it: si non is used when there is emphasis on one notion; i.e. the verb which is contrasted with the opposite affirmative proposition expressed or understood. But even where there is opposition nisi is sometimes used; i.e. the opposition is not marked; e.g. matris verbis Philocomasium arcessito ut si itura siet Athenas tecum eat: nisi eat te soluturum esse navim. Plaut. Mil. Glor. 4 4 48; Haase ad Reisig. p. 457). Unless perchance nisi forte: nisi vero (often ironical: with indicative; hence not nisi forte aptius et commodius esset scribere etc. but est). In Cic. nisi vero [ = εἰ μή γε] often introduces a supposition the manifest absurdity of which is to establish the truth of the other supposition previously stated to be true (Hand iv. p. 233). ☞ An excepted case (added correctively) is more emphatically stated by nisi si; e.g. noli putare me ad quenquam longiores epistolas scribere quam adte nisi si qui ad me plura scripsit etc. So nisi si quis est etc. (Cic.): ☞ praeterquam si is post-classical; e.g. Plin. 8 25 39.
unless: nĭsi, contr. nī: constr. same as si, being used with indic. where a thing is assumed to be so, and with subj. where probability or possibility are concerned (v. IF ). [I report to you good news and true], u. my parents in vain instructed me in the art of augury, ni frustra augurium docuere parentes, Virg. Aen. 1, 392: Cic.: u. it were so, she would have left the house, quod nisi esset, domum reliquisset, Cic. Clu. 66, 189: u. the Etesian winds delay me, I shall speedily see you, nisi quid me Etesiae morabuntur, celeriter vos videbo, id. Fam. 2, 15, extr. [N.B.--(i.) when the apodosis is expr. by fut. indic., as in last ex., the protasis is also in fut. indic. (ii.) when si non occurs, the word si is alone the hypothetical conjunction, the non attaching itself to a single word in the sentence: cf. Cic. Ph. 12, 8, 21, dolorem si non potero frangere [if I am unable to crush it], occultabo. (iii.) si is sometimes repeated after nisi: this is esp. the case where si quis occurs: cf. Cic. Fam. 14, 2, noli putare me ad quenquam longiores epistolas scribere, nisi si qui ad me plura scripsit (here is perhaps an ellipsis: u. I do so, if or when some one, etc.): Sall. (iv.) note the ironical use of nisi forte, u. perchance; with indic.: u. perchance I am mistaken, nisi forte animus me fallit, Sall. 20., fin.: Cic. Also, nisi vero, u. indeed: Cic. Mil. 3, 8.]