Disjunctive particles

Greek has, among others, the following coördinating conjunctions, the uses of which in connecting sentences, clauses, phrases, and single words are described under Particles.

A. Copulative conjunctions: τέ (enclitic), καί and, τὲ. τέ, τὲ . . καί, καὶ . . . καί both . . . and, οὐδέ (μηδέ) and not, nor, οὔτε . . . οὔτε (μήτε . . . μήτε) neither . . . nor.

B. Adversative conjunctions: ἀλλά but, δέ (postpositive, often with μέν in the preceding clause) but, and, ἀτάρ but, yet, however, μέντοι (postpositive) however, yet, καίτοι and yet.

C. Disjunctive conjunctions: ἤ or, ἢ . . . ἤ either . . . or, εἴτε . . . εἴτε (without a verb) either . . . or.

D. Inferential conjunctions: ἄρα then, accordingly, οὖν therefore, then, νῦν (in the poetic and enclitic forms νυν and νῡν) then, therefore, τοίνυν now, then, τοιγάρ (poetic), τοιγάρτοι, τοιγαροῦν so then, therefore.

E. Causal conjunction: γάρ for.

εἴτε (from εἰ + τέ), a disjunctive particle, generally doubled: εἴτε . . . εἴτε whether . . . or (2675), if . . . or (siue . . . siue), giving equal value to each supposition.

a. With the subjunctive we find ἐᾱ́ν τε (ἤν τε, ᾱ̓́ν τε). Hom. has εἴτε . . . εἴτε, but not ἤν τε . . . ἤν τε, with the subjunctive. In the same sense Hom. has ἢ . . . ἤ and ἤτε . . . ἤτε with the subjunctive.

Disjunctive ἤ (Epic ἠέ) or (uel, aut); and repeated: ἢ . . . ἤ either . . . or (uel . . . uel, aut . . . aut) to connect the two members more closely.

ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακόν good or bad X. A. 1.9.11, ἤ τι ἢ οὐδέν little or nothing P. A. 17b. ἤ with the subjunctive is often used when a speaker corrects himself; as νῦν δ᾽ αὖ τρίτος ἦλθέ ποθεν σωτήρ, ἢ μόρον εἴπω; and now, again, the third has come, the deliverer—or shall I call it a deed of death? A. Ch. 1074. On ἤ in questions, see 2657, 2675.