Topic · from the English index · as printed

No

how expressed

ANSWERS TO YES AND NO QUESTIONS

Yes and No questions may be answered in various ways, e.g.:

a. By repeating the verb or another emphatic word with or without one or more confirmative adverbs. Thus, φῂς σὺ ἀμείνω πολῑ́την εἶναι, ὃν σὺ ἐπαινεῖς, ἢ ὃν ἐγώ; φημὶ γὰρ οὖν do you assert that the citizen whom you approve is better than the one I approve? I do say so X. M. 4.6.14, οἶσθ᾽ οὖν ἂ λέξαι σοι . . . θέλω; οὐκ οἶδα dost thou know what I fain would tell thee? No. E. Hec. 999.

b. By ἐγώ, ἔγωγε, οὐκ ἐγώ, οὐκ ἔγωγε, sometimes with νὴ Δία or μὰ Δία.

c. Yes may be expressed by ναί, ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία, μάλιστα, φημί, πάνυ γε, πάνυ μὲν οὖν, εὖ γε, ἔστι ταῦτα, ἔστιν οὕτως, ἀληθῆ λέγεις, ἀληθέστατα, ὀρθῶς γε, κομιδῇ, etc.

No may be expressed by οὔ, οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐ δῆτα, οὐ μὰ Δία, οὐδαμῶς, οὔ φημι, μὴ γάρ, ἥκιστα, ἥκιστά γε, etc.

d. In the form of a question: τί μήν; τί γάρ; ἀλλὰ τί; πῶς; πόθεν; πῶς γὰρ οὔ;