μέν — Cambridge Greek Lexicon

μένpclreltd.μήν1The pcl. (usu. 2nd wd. in cl.) lends emphasis, affirming an idea or concentrating attention upon it, freq. in preparation for a contrasting idea.ep. and Ion., emph., equiv. to μήνὄμοσσον ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξεινswear that you will indeed be ready to help me in word and actionIl.κάρτιστοι μὲν ἔσαν ... καὶ τοῖσιν ἐγὼ μεθομίλεον ... καὶ μέν μεο βουλέων ξύνιενthey were indeed the mightiest ... and with them I kept company ... and to my advice they listenedIl.οὐ μὲν γάρ τι κακὸν βασιλευέμενfor it is certainly not a bad thing to be a kingOd.introductory, without an expressed or implied antithesisἀκτὴ μὲν ἥδε τῆς περιρρύτου χθονὸς Λήμνουthis is the shore of sea-washed LemnosS.marking a q. as preliminary to any further discussionE.ἐλπὶς μὲν οὐκέτ’ ἐστὶ σῴζεσθαι βίον;first let me askis there no longer hope of her life being saved?E. w. an antithesis impliedτἀν δόμοισι μὲν καλῶςwell, as for the situation in the houseat leastS.τίνος; ἐμὸς μὲν οὐχίwhose? not mineE.ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδαI for my part don't knowPl. X. D. Plu.most freq., introducing an expressed contrast, answered by δέ or οὐδέχεῖρες μὲν ἁγναί, φρὴν δ’ ἔχει μίασμά τιmy hands are pure, but my mind is taintedE.παῖδες δύο, πρεσβύτερος μὲν Ἀρταξέρξης, νεώτερος δὲ Κῦροςtwo sons, the elder Artaxerxes, the younger CyrusX.ὣς οἳ μὲν τὰ πένοντο κατὰ στρατόν· οὐδ’ Ἀγαμέμνων λῆγ’ ἔριδοςso the men went about their business in the camp, but Agamemnon would not relent in his quarrelIl.answered by δέ, in anaphoric cls.χαῖρε μὲν χθών, χαῖρε δ’ ἡλίου φάοςgreetings, land, greetings, light of dayA.answered by other conjs. or advs.σμικρὸς μὲν ἔην δέμας, ἀλλὰ μαχητήςhe was small in stature, but a fighterIl.Πέρσας μὲν αὐτοὺς λέληθε, ἡμέας μέντοι οὔit has escaped the notice of the Persians, but not of usHdt.πρῶτονor πρῶτα μὲν ... εἶταor ἔπειτα or sim.first ... thenS.combined w. another pcl., each usu. retaining its original forceesp. γε μένequiv. to γε μήν, μέν γε, μὲν δή, μέν τοιsee alsoμέντοιcombined to form a new senseμὲν οὖνcontradictoryA.περιβλέπεσθαι τίμιον; κενὸν μὲν οὖνIs it an honour to be widely admired? No, it is an empty thingE.assentientπάνυ μὲν οὖνyes, very much soPl.μενοῦνbeginning a cl.on the contraryNT.

ShortDef

on the one hand, on the other hand

Debugging

Headword:

μέν

Headword (normalized):

μέν

Headword (normalized/stripped):

μεν

Intro Text:

IDX:

25666

URN:

urn:cite2:scaife-viewer:dictionary-entries.atlas_v1:cambridge-greek-lexicon-25667

Key:

Senses and Citations (From Data)

Citations (From Models)

No citations.

Data

{
  "headword": "μέν",
  "data": {
    "headword_display": "<b>μέν</b>",
    "content": "<FE><HG><HL>μέν</HL><PS>pcl</PS><Ety>reltd.<Ref>μήν<Hm>1</Hm></Ref></Ety></HG><FG><Case><Lbl>The pcl. (usu. 2nd wd. in cl.) lends emphasis, affirming an idea or concentrating attention upon it, freq. in preparation for a contrasting idea.</Lbl></Case></FG><advS1><Indic>ep. and Ion., emph., equiv. to <Ref>μήν</Ref></Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>ὄμοσσον ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν</Gr><TrPhr>swear that you will indeed be ready to help me in word and action</TrPhr><Au>Il.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>κάρτιστοι μὲν ἔσαν ... καὶ τοῖσιν ἐγὼ μεθομίλεον ... καὶ μέν μεο βουλέων ξύνιεν</Gr><TrPhr>they were indeed the mightiest ... and with them I kept company ... and to my advice they listened</TrPhr><Au>Il.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>οὐ μὲν γάρ τι κακὸν βασιλευέμεν</Gr><TrPhr>for it is certainly not a bad thing to be a king</TrPhr><Au>Od.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Indic>introductory, without an expressed or implied antithesis</Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>ἀκτὴ μὲν ἥδε τῆς περιρρύτου χθονὸς Λήμνου</Gr><TrPhr>this is the shore of sea-washed Lemnos</TrPhr><Au>S.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Indic>marking a q. as preliminary to any further discussion</Indic><Au>E.<NBPlus/></Au><AdvPhr><Gr>ἐλπὶς μὲν οὐκέτ’ ἐστὶ σῴζεσθαι βίον;</Gr><TrPhr><Indic><ital>first let me ask</ital></Indic>is there no longer hope of her life being saved?</TrPhr><Au>E.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1> <advS1><Indic>w. an antithesis implied</Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>τἀν δόμοισι μὲν καλῶς</Gr><TrPhr>well, as for the situation in the house<Expl>at least</Expl></TrPhr><Au>S.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>τίνος; ἐμὸς μὲν οὐχί</Gr><TrPhr>whose? not mine</TrPhr><Au>E.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα</Gr><TrPhr>I for my part don't know</TrPhr><Au>Pl. X. D. Plu.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Indic>most freq., introducing an expressed contrast, answered by <Ref>δέ</Ref> or <Ref>οὐδέ</Ref></Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>χεῖρες μὲν ἁγναί, φρὴν δ’ ἔχει μίασμά τι</Gr><TrPhr>my hands are pure, but my mind is tainted</TrPhr><Au>E.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>παῖδες δύο, πρεσβύτερος μὲν Ἀρταξέρξης, νεώτερος δὲ Κῦρος</Gr><TrPhr>two sons, the elder Artaxerxes, the younger Cyrus</TrPhr><Au>X.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>ὣς οἳ μὲν τὰ πένοντο κατὰ στρατόν· οὐδ’ Ἀγαμέμνων λῆγ’ ἔριδος</Gr><TrPhr>so the men went about their business in the camp, but Agamemnon would not relent in his quarrel</TrPhr><Au>Il.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Indic>answered by <Ref>δέ</Ref>, in anaphoric cls.</Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>χαῖρε μὲν χθών, χαῖρε δ’ ἡλίου φάος</Gr><TrPhr>greetings, land, greetings, light of day</TrPhr><Au>A.</Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Indic>answered by other conjs. or advs.</Indic><AdvPhr><Gr>σμικρὸς μὲν ἔην δέμας, ἀλλὰ μαχητής</Gr><TrPhr>he was small in stature, but a fighter</TrPhr><Au>Il.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>Πέρσας μὲν αὐτοὺς λέληθε, ἡμέας μέντοι οὔ</Gr><TrPhr>it has escaped the notice of the Persians, but not of us</TrPhr><Au>Hdt.</Au></AdvPhr><AdvPhr><Gr>πρῶτον<Expl>or <Gr>πρῶτα</Gr></Expl> μὲν ... εἶτα<Expl>or <Gr>ἔπειτα</Gr> or sim.</Expl></Gr><TrPhr>first ... then</TrPhr><Au>S.<NBPlus/></Au></AdvPhr></advS1><advS1><Phr><Indic>combined w. another pcl., each usu. retaining its original force</Indic><Gr><rom>esp.</rom> γε μέν<Expl>equiv. to <Gr>γε μήν</Gr></Expl>, μέν γε, μὲν δή, μέν τοι</Gr></Phr><XR>see also<Ref>μέντοι</Ref></XR></advS1><advS1><Phr><Indic>combined to form a new sense</Indic><Gr>μὲν οὖν<Expl>contradictory</Expl></Gr><Au>A.<NBPlus/></Au></Phr><AdvPhr><Gr>περιβλέπεσθαι τίμιον; κενὸν μὲν οὖν</Gr><TrPhr>Is it an honour to be widely admired? No, it is an empty thing</TrPhr><Au>E.</Au></AdvPhr><Phr><Indic>assentient</Indic></Phr><AdvPhr><Gr>πάνυ μὲν οὖν</Gr><TrPhr>yes, very much so</TrPhr><Au>Pl.<NBPlus/></Au></AdvPhr><Phr><Gr>μενοῦν<Expl>beginning a cl.</Expl></Gr><TrPhr>on the contrary</TrPhr><Au>NT.</Au></Phr></advS1> </FE>",
    "key": "μέν"
  },
  "senses": [],
  "citations": [],
  "urn": "urn:cite2:scaife-viewer:dictionary-entries.atlas_v1:cambridge-greek-lexicon-25667"
}