Topic · from the English index · as printed

Anticipatory subjunctive

SUBJUNCTIVE WITHOUT ἄν

Anticipatory Subjunctive (Homeric Subjunctive).—In Homer the subjunctive is often closely akin to the future indicative, and refers by anticipation to a future event (negative οὐ): οὐ γάρ πω τοίους ἴδον ᾱ̓νέρας, οὐδὲ ἴδωμαι for never yet saw I such men, nor shall I see them A 262, καί νύ τις ὧδ᾽ εἴπῃσι and one will say ξ 275. ἄν (κέν) usually limits this subjunctive in Hom. (1813).

a. This futural subjunctive is retained in Attic only in subordinate clauses (2327), and in τί πάθω (1811).

μή WITH THE SUBJUNCTIVE AND IMPERATIVE

Independent clauses take μή: the hortatory subjunctive (1797), the prohibitive subjunctive (1800), the deliberative subjunctive (1805), the subjunctive of doubtful assertion (1801).

a. The anticipatory subjunctive in Homer takes οὐ (1810, cp. 1813).