but if not

Greek Particle Neuter

μήγε, see: γε. γε, enclitic postpositive particle, rarer in κοινή than in cl, giving special prominence to the word to which it is attached, distinguishing it as the least or the most important (Thayer, see word), indeed, at least, even (but not always translatable into English); 1) used alone: Luk.11:8 18:5 Rom.8:32. 2) More frequently with other particles: αλλά γε, Luk.24:21, 1Co.9:2; ἄρα γε, Mat.7:20 17:26, Act.17:27; ἆρά γε, Act.8:30; εἴ γε (Rec. εἴγε), 2Co.5:3, Gal.3:4, Eph.3:2 4:21, Col.1:23 (see Meyer, Ellic, on Ga, Eph, ll. with; Lft, on Ga, Col, ll. with); εἰ δὲ μήγε, following an affirmation, Mat.6:1, Luk.10:6 13:9; a negation, Mat.9:17, Luk.5:36, 37 14:32, 2Co.11:16; καί γε (Rec. καίγε, cl. καὶ. γε), Luk.19:42 (WH om.), Act.2:18 17:27; καίτοιγε (L καίτοι γε, Tr. καί τοι γε), Jhn.4:2; μενοῦνγε (see see word); μήτι γε, see: μήτι; ὄφελόν, 1Co.4:8. (AS)

but if not

Greek Particle Neuter

Related to: εἰ, Attic dialect-Ionic dialect and [Refs 4th c.AD+] ἤ [Refs] in Epic dialect:— Particle used interjectionally with imperative and to express a wish, but usually either in conditions, if, or in indirect questions, whether. In the former use its regular negative is μ; in the latter, οὐ. A) INTERJECTIONALLY, in [Refs 8th c.BC+], come now! with imperative, εἰ δὲ. ἄκουσον [Refs 8th c.BC+] A.2) in wishes, with optative, ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις. καλέσειεν [Refs]; so later, εἴ μοι ξυνείη μοῖρα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of unattained wishes, in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; later with past tenses of indicative, εἰ γάρ μ᾽ ὑπὸ γῆν. ἧκεν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην δύναμιν εἶχον ὥστε. [Refs 8th c.BC+]infinitive (compare the use of infinitive in commands), αἰ γὰρ τοῖος ἐὼν. ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι [Refs] A.2.b) εἴθε, Epic dialect αἴθε, is frequently used in wishes in the above constructions, εἴθε οἱ αὐτῷ Ζεὺς ἀγαθὸν τελέσειεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]: later with infinitive, γαίης χθαμαλωτέρη εἴθε. κεῖσθαι [Refs 1st c.BC+] A.2.c) εἰ γάρ, εἴθε are also used with ὤφελον (Epic dialect ὤφελλον), of past unattained wishes, αἴθ᾽ ὤφελλες στρατοῦ ἄλλου σημαίνειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον [κατιδεῖν] [Refs 5th c.BC+] A.2.d) followed by a clause expressing a consequence of the fulfilment of the wish, αἰ γὰρ τοῦτο. ἔπος τετελεσμένον εἴη· τῷ κε τάχα γνοίης. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes hard to distinguish from εἰ in conditions (which may be derived from this use), εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη [Refs 8th c.BC+] B) IN CONDITIONS, if: B.I) with INDIC, B.I.1) with all tenses (for future, see below [Refs]if this is so, it will be, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: any form of the Verb may stand in apodosi, εἰ θεοί τι δρῶσιν αἰσχρόν, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ οὗτοι ὀρθῶς ἀπέστησαν, ὑμεῖς ἂν οὐ χρεὼν ἄρχοιτε if these were right in their revolt, (it would follow that) you rule when you have no right, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.I.1.b) to express a general condition, if ever, whenever, sometimes with present, εἴ τις δύο ἢ καὶ πλείους τις ἡμέρας λογίζεται, μάταιός ἐστιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with imperfect, εἴ τίς τι ἠρώτα ἀπεκρίνοντο [Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with aorist, [Refs 1st c.BC+] B.I.2) with future (much less frequently than ἐάν with subjunctive), either to express a future supposition emphatically, εἰ φθάσομεν τοὺς πολεμίους κατακαίνοντες οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ἀποθανεῖται [Refs 5th c.BC+] in threats or warnings, εἰ μὴ καθέξεις γλῶσσαν ἔσται σοι κακά [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.I.2.b) to express a present intention or expectation, αἶρε πλῆκτρον εἰ μαχεῖ if you mean to fight, [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.I.3) with historical tenses, implying that the condition is or was unfulfilled. B.I.3.a) with imperfect, referring to present time or to continued or repeated action in past time (in [Refs 8th c.BC+], if they did not live an abstemious life, [Refs 5th c.BC+] would not have been master of islands, if he had not had also some naval force, [Refs 7th c.BC+]; εἰ ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ. οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταῦτα ἔπασχον if they had been good men, they would never have suffered as they did, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ τάδε ᾔδἐ. οὐκ ἂν ὑπεξέφυγε if I had known this, [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.I.3.b) with aorist referring to past time, εἰ μὴ ἔφυσε θεὸς μέλι. ἔφασκον γλύσσονα σῦκα πέλεσθαι [Refs 6th c.BC+]; εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς ἤλθετε, ἐπορευόμεθα ἂν ἐπὶ βασιλέα had you not come, we should be on our way, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with pluperfect in apodosi, εἰ τριάκοντα μόναι μετέπεσον τῶν ψήφων, ἀπεπεφεύγη ἄν [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.I.3.c) rarely with pluperfect referring to action finished in past or present time, λοιπὸν δ᾽ ἂν ἦν ἡμῖν ἔτι περὶ τῆς πόλεως διαλεχθῆναι, εἰ μὴ προτέρα τῶν ἄλλων τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπεποίητο if she had not (as she has done) made peace before the rest, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.II) with SUB[Refs 1st c.AD+] (Epic dialect κε, κεν), compare ἐάν: [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but ἄν (κε, κεν) are frequently absent in [Refs 8th c.BC+], cf. Foed.Doric dialect cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; occasionally in Trag, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; very rarely in Attic dialect Prose, εἰ ξυστῶσιν αἱ πόλεις [Refs 5th c.BC+]: in later Prose, εἴ τις θελήσῃ [NT+3rd c.AD+] B.II.1) when the apodosis is future, to express a future condition more distinctly and vividly than εἰ with optative, but less so than εἰ with future indicative (above [Refs]; εἰ δέ κεν ὣς ἕρξῃς καί τοι πείθωνται Ἀχαιοί, γνώσῃ ἔπειθ᾽. if thou do thus, thou shalt know, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἂν μὴ νῦν ἐθέλωμεν ἐκεῖ πολεμεῖν αὐτῷ, ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴσως ἀναγκασθησόμεθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν if we be not now willing, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.II.2) when the apodosis is present, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition, if ever, ἤν ποτε δασμὸς ἵκηται, σοὶ τὸ γέρας πολὺ μεῖζον (i.e. ἐστί) whenever a division comes, your prize is (always) greater, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἢν ἐγγὺς ἔλθῃ θάνατος, οὐδεὶς βούλεται θνῄσκειν if death come near, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with ἄν omitted, εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον. καταπέψῃ ἀλλά. ἔχει κότον [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.II.2.b) with Rhet. present in apodosis, ἐὰν μὴ οἱ φιλόσοφοι βασιλεύσωσιν, οὐκ ἔστι κακῶν παῦλα there is (i.e. can be, will be) no rest, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.III) with OPTATIVE (never with ἄν in early Gr, later ἐάν with optative, [Refs 5th c.AD+] B.III.1) to express a future condition less definitely than ἐάν with subjunctive, usually with optative with ἄν in apodosis, ἦ κεν γηθήσαι Πρίαμος Πριάμοιό τε παῖδες. εἰ σφῶιν τάδε πάντα πυθοίατο μαρναμένοιιν surely they would exult, if they should hear, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future optative is falsa lectio in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with present indicative in apodosis, [Refs 6th c.BC+]: with future indicative, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.III.1.b) in Hom.sometimes with present optative, to express an unfulfilled present condition, εἰ μὲν νῦν ἐπὶ ἄλλῳ ἀεθλεύοιμεν, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτα φεροίμην if we were now contending, etc, [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.III.2) when the apodosis is past, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition in past time (corresponding to use of subjunctive in present time, above [Refs]; once in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ δέ τινας θορυβουμένους αἴσθοιτο, κατασβεννύναι τὴν ταραχὴν ἐπειρᾶτο if he should see (whenever he saw) any troops in confusion, he (always) tried, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴ τις ἀντείποι, εὐθὺς ἐτεθνήκει if any one made objection, he was a dead man at once, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: indicative and optative are found in same sentence, ἐμίσει, οὐκ εἴ τις κακῶς πάσχων ἠμύνετο, ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις εὐεργετούμενος ἀχάριστος φαίνοιτο [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.III.3) in oratio obliqua after past tenses, representing ἐάν with subjunctive or εἰ with a primary (never an historical) tense of the indicative in oratio recta, ἐλογίζοντο ὡς, εἰ μὴ μάχοιντο, ἀποστήσοιντο αἱ πόλεις (representing ἐὰν μὴ μαχώμεθα, ἀποστήσονται) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔλεγεν ὅτι, εἰ βλαβερὰ πεπραχὼς εἴη, δίκαιος εἴη ζημιοῦσθαι (representing εἰ βλαβερὰ πέπραχε, δίκαιός ἐστι)[Refs]; εἰ δέ τινα φεύγοντα λήψοιτο, προηγόρευεν ὅτι ὡς πολεμίῳ χρήσοιτο (representing εἴ τινα λήψομαι, χρήσομαι) [Refs]; also, where oratio obliqua is implied in the leading clause, οὐκ ἦν τοῦ πολέμου πέρας Φιλίππῳ, εἰ μὴ Θηβαίους. ἐχθροὺς ποιήσειε τῇ πόλει, i.e. Philip thought there would be no end to the war, unless he should make. (his thought having been ἐὰν μὴ ποιήσω), [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.III.4) with optative with ἄν, only when the clause serves as apodosis as well as protasis,[Refs 5th c.BC+] B.IV) with infinitive, in oratio obliqua, only in [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.V) after Verbs denoting wonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions, εἰ with indicative is used instead of ὅτι, to express the object of the feeling in a hypothetical form, θαυμάζω εἰ μηδεὶς ὑμῶν μήτ᾽ ἐνθυμεῖται μήτ᾽ ὀργίζεται, ὁρῶν. I wonder that no one of you is either concerned or angry when he sees, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: after past tenses, ἐθαύμασε δ᾽ εἰ μὴ φανερόν ἐστιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐθαύμαζε δ᾽ εἴ τις ἀρετὴν ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἀργύριον πράττοιτο he wondered that any one should demand money, [Refs]; ἔχαιρον ἀγαπῶν εἴ τις ἐάσοι I rejoiced, being content if any one should let it pass, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —in this use the _negative_ οὐ is also found, ἀγανακτῶ εἰ ὁ Φίλιππος ἁρπάζων οὐ λυπεῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VI) in citing a fact as a ground of argument or appeal, as surely as, since, εἴ ποτ᾽ ἔην γε if there was [as there was], i.e. as sure as there was such an one, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πολλοὺς γὰρ οἶκε εἶναι εὐπετέστερον διαβάλλειν ἢ ἕνα, εἰ Κλεομένεα μὲν μοῦνον οὐκ οἷός τε ἐγένετο διαβαλεῖν, τρεῖς δὲ μυριάδας Ἀθηναίων ἐποίησε τοῦτο it seems easier to deceive many than one, if (as was the fact, i.e. since) he was not able, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VII) ELLIPTICAL CONSTRUCTIONS: B.VII.1) with apodosis implied in the context, εἰ having the force of in case, supposing that, πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, εἰ ἐπιβοηθοῖεν, ἐχώρουν they marched towards the city [so as to meet the citizens], in case they should rush out, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱκέται πρὸς σὲ δεῦρ᾽ ἀφίγμεθα, εἴ τινα πόλιν φράσειας ἡμῖν εὔερον we have come hither to you, in case you should tell us of some fleecy city (i.e. that we might hear of it), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων, αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαι sit by him and grasp his knees [so as to persuade him], in case he be willing to help the Trojans, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄκουσον καὶ ἐμοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἔτι ταὐτὰ δοκῇ hear me also [that you may assent], in case the same opinion please you, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἰδὲ δή, ἐάν σοι ὅπερ ἐμοὶ συνδοκῇ look now, in case you approve what I do, [Refs] B.VII.2) with apodosis suppressed for rhetorical reasons, εἴ περ γάρ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσιν Ὀλύμπιος. στυφελίξαι if he wish to thrust him away, [he will do so], [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ μὲν δώσουσι γέρας—· εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώωσιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι if they shall give me a prize, [well and good]; but if they give not, then I will take one for myself, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ ἢν μὲν ξυμβῇ ἡ πεῖρα—· εἰ δὲ μή. and if the attempt succeed, [well]; otherwise, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VII.3) with the Verb of the protasis omitted, chiefly in the following expressions: B.VII.3.a) εἰ μή except, οὐδὲν ἄλλο σιτέονται, εἰ μὴ ἰχθῦς μοῦνον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μὰ τὼ θεώ, εἰ μὴ Κρίτυλλά γ᾽ [εἰμί]—nay, if I'm not Critylla! i.e. I am, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ μὴ ὅσον except only, ἐγὼ μέν μιν οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ ὅσον γραφῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ μή τι οὖν, ἀλλὰ σμικρόν γέ μοι τῆς ἀρχῆς χάλασον if nothing else, yet, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VII.3.b) εἰ δὲ μή but if not, i.e. otherwise, προηγόρευε τοῖς Λαμψακηνοῖσι μετιέναι Μιλτιάδεα, εἰ δὲ μή, σφέας πίτυος τρόπον ἀπείλεε ἐκτρίψειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; after μάλιστα μέν, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —after a preceding _negative_, μὴ τύπτ᾽· εἰ δὲ μή, σαυτόν ποτ᾽ αἰτιάσει don't beat me; otherwise, you will have yourself to blame, [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VII.3.c) εἰ δέ sometimes stands for εἰ δὲ μή, εἰ μὲν βούλεται, ἑψέτω· εἰ δ᾽, ὅτι βούλεται, τοῦτο ποιείτω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ δὲ τοῦτο and if so, [Refs 1st c.BC+] B.VII.3.d) εἰ γάρ for if so, [Refs] B.VII.3.e) εἴ τις if any, i. e. as much as or more than any, τῶν γε νῦν αἴ τις ἐπιχθονίων, ὀρθῶς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴ τις ἄλλος, siquis alius, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also κατ᾽ εἰ δέ τινα τρόπον in any way, [Refs] B.VII.3.f) εἴ ποτε or εἴπερ ποτέ now if ever, ἡμῖν δὲ καλῶς, εἴπερ ποτέ, ἔχει. ἡ ξυναλλαγή [Refs 7th c.BC+]; but in prayers, εἴ ποτέ τοι ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα. τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.VII.3.g) εἴ ποθεν (i.e. δυνατόν ἐστι) if from any quarter, i.e. from some quarter or other, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so εἴ ποθι somewhere, anywhere, [Refs 8th c.BC+] B.VII.3.h) εἴ πως[Refs 5th c.BC+]: in an elliptical sentence (cf. VII. [Refs 5th c.BC+] B.VIII) with other PARTICLES: B.VIII.1) for the distinction between καὶ εἰ (or καὶ ἐάν, or κἄν) even if, and εἰ καί (or ἐὰν καί) even though, see at {καί}:—the opposite of καὶ εἰ is οὐδ᾽ εἰ, not even if; that of εἰ καί is εἰ μηδέ, if (although) not even. B.VIII.2) for ὡς εἰ, ὡς εἴ τε, ὥσπερ εἰ, etc, see at {ὡς} and ὥσπερ. B.VIII.3) for εἰ ἄρα, see at {ἄρα}; for εἰ δή, εἴπερ, see at {εἰ δή, εἴπερ}; for εἴ γε, see at {γέ}. B.IX) in negative oaths, = Hebrew im, [LXX+NT] C) IN INDIRECT QUESTIONS, whether, followed by the indicative, subjunctive, or optative, according to the principles of oratio obliqua: C.1) with IN[Refs 4th c.BC+] whether he is a god, [Refs 8th c.BC+] C.2) with SUB[Refs 1st c.AD+]subjunctive in the direct question, τὰ ἐκπώματα οὐκ οἶδ᾽ εἰ Χρυσάντᾳ τουτῳῒ δῶ whether I should give them, [Refs 5th c.BC+] C.3) OPT. after past tenses, representing either of the two previous constructions in the direct question, ἤρετο εἴ τις ἐμοῦ εἴη σοφώτερος he asked whether any one was wiser than I (direct ἔστι τις σοφώτερο;), [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist optative for the aorist indicative, ἠρώτων αὐτὸν εἰ ἀναπλεύσειεν I asked him whether he had set sail (direct ἀνέπλευσα;), [Refs 4th c.BC+]aorist optative usually represents aorist subjunctive, τὸν θεὸν ἐπήροντο εἰ παραδοῖεν Κορινθίοις τὴν πόλιν. καὶ τιμωρίαν τινὰ πειρῷντ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι they asked whether they should deliver their city to the Corinthians, and should try, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —in both constructions the _indicative_ or subjunctive may be retained, ψῆφον ἐβούλοντο ἐπαγαγεῖν εἰ χρὴ πολεμεῖν[Refs]; ἐβουλεύοντο εἴτε κατακαύσωσιν. εἴτε τι ἄλλο χρήσωνται whether they should burn them or should dispose of them in some other way, [Refs]; ἀνακοινοῦσθαι αὐτὸν αὑτῷ εἰ δῷ ἐπιψηφίσαι τοῖς προέδροις [he said that] he consulted him whether he should give, [Refs 4th c.BC+] C.4) with OPT. and ἄν when this was the form of the direct question, ἠρώτων εἰ δοῖεν ἂν τούτων τὰ πιστά they asked whether they would give (direct δοιήτε ἄ;), [Refs 5th c.BC+] C.5) the NEG. used with εἰ in indirect questions is οὐ, when οὐ would be used in the direct question, ἐνετέλλετο. εἰρωτᾶν εἰ οὔ τι ἐπαισχύνεται whether he is not ashamed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but if μή would be required in the direct form, it is retained in the indirect, οὐ τοῦτο ἐρωτῶ, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ τοῦ μὲν δικαίου μὴ ἀξιοῖ πλέον ἔχειν μηδὲ βούλεται ὁ δίκαιος, τοῦ δὲ ἀδίκου (the direct question would be μὴ ἀξιοῖ μηδὲ βούλετα; he does not see fit nor wish, does he?) [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—in double indirect questions, εἴτε. εἴτε; εἰ. εἴτε; εἴτε. ἢ, either οὐ or μή can be used in the second clause, ὅπως ἴδῃς εἴτ᾽ ἔνδον εἴτ᾽ οὐκ ἔνδον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ ἀληθὲς ἢ μή, πειράσομαι μαθεῖν[Refs 4th c.BC+]; τοὺς νόμους καταμανθάνειν εἰ καλῶς κεῖνται ἢ μή. τοὺς λόγους εἰ ὀρθῶς ὑμᾶς διδάσκουσιν ἢ οὔ [Refs 5th c.BC+]

Greek

Conjunction

but if not; (or) else, if (not, otherwise), otherwise; from g1487 (εἰ), g1161 (δέ), and g3361 (μή) (sometimes with g1065 (γέ) added)