μά

μά (A) [ᾰ], Particle used in asseverations and oaths, c. acc. of the deity or thing appealed to; in itself neither affirmative nor negative, but made so by prefixing ναί or οὐ, or, in Att., by the context: thus,

• • I 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 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: with preceding neg., οὐδʼ ὄναρ, μὰ τὰς Μοίρας Herod. 1.11.: in answers, when the negation is expressed in the question, οὐκ αὖ μʼ ἐάσεις; Answ. μὰ Δίʼ, ἐπεὶ κἀγὼ πόνηρός εἰμι Ar. Eq. 336, cf. 338 (where οὐκ ἐάσω is to be supplied after μὰ Δία from the question, cf. Ra. 951, Pl. 400): when ἀλλά follows, δύο δραχμὰς μισθὸν τελεῖς; Answ. μὰ Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ ἔλαττον Id. Ra. 174 (where οὐ τελῶ is understood, cf. ib. 753, 779, 1053, X. Mem. 3.13.3): in μὰ γῆν, μὰ κρήνας, μὰ ποταμούς, μὰ νάματα Antiph. 296 = Timocl. 38, the context is missing.
    • • 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.).

μά (B), Thess. for δέ, IG 9(2).258.11 (Cierium, ii B.C.), 461 A 9 (Crannon, ii B.C.); also found at beginning of sentence in POxy. 1216.10 (ii/iii A.D.).

μά (C) [ᾱ], Elean for μή, Schwyzer 413.5.

μά, Beteuerungswort, einen Schwur einleitend mit dem accus. der Gottheit od. der Sache, bei der man schwört;
1) bejahend,
   a) mit ναί od. νή, wie Il. 1.234, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον, wahrlich bei diesem Szepter ! ναὶ μὰ γὰρ ὅρκον, Pind. N. 11.24 ; ναὶ μὰ Δία, Ar. Ach. 88, Eq. 280 ; ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία, Plat. Rep. III.407b u. Folgde, doch nicht eben häufig.
   b) ohne den Zusatz, wo sich die Bejahung aus dem Zusammenhang ergibt, μὰ τὴν τέλειον τῆς ἐμῆς παιδὸς Δίκην, Aesch. Ag. 1407, u. häufiger μὰ Δία, so wahr Zeus ! beim Zeus ! – Häufiger
2) verneinend;
   a) mit dabeistehendem οὐ, οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα, οὐ μὰ Ζῆνα, nein, beim Zeus ! Il. 1.86, 23.43, Od. 20.339 ; οὐ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν Ἄρτεμιν, Soph. El. 616 ; οὔτοι μὰ τοὺς θεούς, Ar. Eq. 235 ; οὐ μὰ τὼ θεώ, Thesm. 718 ; οὐδέ γε μὰ Δία, Plat. Gorg. 456d ; οὐ μέντοι μὰ Δία, Rep. IV.426b ; οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία οὔκουν, Theaet. 142d u. öfter.
   b) oder die Negation folgt, μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, οὐκ, Ar. Thesm. 269 ; μὰ Δία – οὐκέτι ἔχω σοι λέγειν, Plat. Prot. 312e ; μὰ θεοὺς – οὐδέν, Symp. 219c ; μὰ Δία – μὴ σύ γε, Rep. I.345b ; vgl. Eur. μὰ τοὺς παρʼ ᾍδην νερτέρους ἀλάστορας, οὔτοι ποτʼ ἔσται τοῦτο, bei den Unterirdischen, nimmer wird das geschehen, Med. 1055.
   c) in Antworten, in Bezug auf die in der Frage liegende Negation, οὐκ αὖ μʼ ἐάσεις ; – μὰ Δίʼ ἐπεὶ κἀγὼ πονηρός εἰμι, Ar. Eq. 336 ; u. mit folgdm ἀλλά, z.B. δύο δραχμὰς μισθὸν τελεῖς ; – μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἔλαττον, nein beim Zeus ! sondern weniger, Ran. 753, 779, 1053 ; Xen. Mem. 3.13.3, u. öfter bei Plat., vgl. οὐ μὰ τὸν Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ οἶδα ἔγωγε ὅτι ἔλεγον Rep. I.334b. – Der Name des Gegenstandes, bei dem man schwört, wird auch fortgelassen, bes. in der attischen Umgangssprache, μὰ τὸν, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδʼ ἂν – ἐπιθόμην Ar. Ran. 1370 ; Plat. Gorg. 489e ; vgl. Schäfer Greg. p. 150 ff. u. Meineke quaest. Men. p. 131.

μά

A particle used in affirmations or strong protestations, followed by acc. of a deity or thing invoked. Affirmatively with ναί : ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον (by this...) Il. 1.234.

With οὐ in negation : οὐ μὰ Ζῆνα Il. 23.43. Cf. Il. 1.86 : Od. 20.339.

μᾰ

• 1by, c. acc. of object, by which one swears. ναὶ μὰ γὰρ ὅρκον N. 11.24

μά : by, in oaths, w. acc. of the divinity or of the witness invoked; mostly neg., w. οὐ, Il. 1.86; sometimes, w. ναί, affirmative, Il. 1.234.

μά

• a Particle used in strong protestations and oaths, followed by acc. of the deity or thing appealed to; in itself neither affirmative nor negative, but made so by prefixing ναί or οὐ, or by the context:—thus,
• • Iναὶ μὰ . ., in affirmation, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον yea by this sceptre, Il.; ναὶ μὰ Δία, ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία Ar., Plat.
  • IIοὐ μὰ . ., in negation, οὐ μὰ Ζῆνα, nay, by . ., Il.; οὔ τοι μὰ τοὺς δώδεκα θεούς Ar.
  • IIIin Attic μά is often used alone, mostly in negat. sense μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ Eur.:— in answers, when the negation is expressed in the question, οὐκ αὖ μʼ ἐάσεις; Answ. μὰ Δί’ (sc. οὐκ ἐάσω) Ar.
  • IVthe name of the deity was often suppressed, ναὶ μὰ τόν, οὐ μὰ τόν Plat.