Wednesday, 20 March 2013

More about AN



ἄν

ἄν is best described as the Conditional Marker in Greek.

It is usually but not always translated as would or should.

Here are some prose samples

From Plato's Apology the iterative

Διηρώτων ἄν αὐτοὺς τί λέγοιεν I often asked them what they meant.

Ἄν From Demosthenes 3.27

ἄλλα σιωπῶ, πόλλ̕ ἂν ἔχων εἰπεῖν but I am silent though/ I would have / having much to say

ἄν with Subjunctive ὅπου ἂν ὦ Wherever I may be .

Ἄν in a Compounds becomes Whenever ἐάν ἐπειδάν ὅταν

ἐάν κελεύῃ πειθόμεθα when if ever he orders we obey

ἐάν ἔλθη νικήσομεν whenever he comes we (will) win


A set showing εἰ and ἄν in IF A THEN B statements

εἰ ταῦτα ἐγίγνετο ἀπέθνῃσκεν ἄν if this was happening he would be dying

εἰ ταῦτα ἐγένετο ἀπέθανεν ἄν if this had happened he would have died

εἰ ταῦτα ἐγένοιτο ἀποθάνοι ἄν if this should happen he would die

Indirect ἔφη εἰ ταῦτα ἐγένετο ἀποθανεῖν ἄν


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