λίην

λίην Ion. epic for λίαν.

λίην, ion. u. ep. = λίαν.

λίην

[ῖ.]

• • 1

    Exceedingly, very, very much : λ. φύλλοισιν ἐοικότες Il. 2.800 : νήπιός εἰς λ. τόσον; (so very ... as this would seem to show thee to be) Od. 4.371. Cf. Od. 8.231, 489, Od. 10.552, Od. 13.238, 243, Od. 15.405 (not so very ...).

    With notion of excess : λ. πολλοί (too many for that) Il. 19.226. Cf. Il. 9.229, Il. 21.566 : λ. πινυτή (too much so for any fear of that) Od. 11.445, λ. ἑκὰς ἤλθομεν Od. 14.496. Cf. Od. 3.227, Od. 13.421, Od. 16.243.

  • 2

    With verbs, exceedingly, greatly : κεχολώατο λ. Od. 14.282, Od. 16.425. Cf. Od. 14.461, Od. 20.99.

    With notion of excess : λ. ἄχθομαι ἕλκος (I can bear it no longer) Il. 5.361, λ. μαίνεται (his rage passes all bounds) Il. 6.100. Cf. Il. 6.486, Il. 13.284, Il. 14.368 (we can make shift to do without him), Il. 21.288 : μηδὲ δείδιθι λ. Od. 4.825. Cf. Od. 8.205 (I can contain myself no longer), Od. 16.86 (too much to let me think of that), Od. 18.20 (do not provoke me too far), Od. 23.175 (unduly).

  • 3

    καὶ λίην, truly, verily, of a surety : καὶ λίην κεῖνός γε ἐοικότι κεῖται ὀλέθρῳ Od. 1.46. Cf. Il. 1.553, Il. 19.408 : Od. 3.203, Od. 9.477, Od. 11.181= Od. 16.37, Od. 13.393, Od. 15.155, Od. 17.312.

    Strengthening a wish : καὶ λ. οὗτός γε μένος ὀλέσειεν Il. 8.358.

λίην : too, excessively, greatly, very; μή τι λίην προκαλίζεο, provoke me not ‘too far,’ Od. 18.20; οὐδέ τι λίην οὕτω νώνυμός ἐστι, not so very unrenowned, Od. 13.238, cf. Od. 15.405; often καὶ λίην at the beginning of a statement, ‘most certainly,’ ‘ay, by all means,’ etc.