Plural of Modesty.—A speaker in referring to himself may use the first person plural as a modest form of statement. In prose, of an author: ἔννοιά ποθ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐγένετο
the reflection once occurred to me C. 1.1.1. In tragedy, often with interchange of plural and singular: εἰ κωλῡόμεσθα μὴ μαθεῖν ἃ βούλομαι if I (Creusa) am prevented from learning what I wish Ion 391, ἱκετεύομεν ἀμφὶ σᾱ̀ν γενειάδα . . . προσπίτνων
I entreat thee, as I grasp thy beard H. F. 1206. See 1009.
Topic · from the English index · as printed
Modesty
plural of
§1008PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBER