What would this pun mean?
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In a conversation with a fellow Ancient Greek enthusiast, the name "Medusa" (Μέδουσα, "ruling") came up. I made a rather tortured pun by switching the epsilon to an eta, creating μὴ δοῦσα.
Now, μή is a negative particle, and δοῦσα is a participle from δέω, "bind". I dimly remember using μή, rather than οὐ, with participles. But is this particular construction grammatical? If so, what would it mean?
greek participium negation
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Draconis
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In a conversation with a fellow Ancient Greek enthusiast, the name "Medusa" (Μέδουσα, "ruling") came up. I made a rather tortured pun by switching the epsilon to an eta, creating μὴ δοῦσα.
Now, μή is a negative particle, and δοῦσα is a participle from δέω, "bind". I dimly remember using μή, rather than οὐ, with participles. But is this particular construction grammatical? If so, what would it mean?
greek participium negation
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
In a conversation with a fellow Ancient Greek enthusiast, the name "Medusa" (Μέδουσα, "ruling") came up. I made a rather tortured pun by switching the epsilon to an eta, creating μὴ δοῦσα.
Now, μή is a negative particle, and δοῦσα is a participle from δέω, "bind". I dimly remember using μή, rather than οὐ, with participles. But is this particular construction grammatical? If so, what would it mean?
greek participium negation
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
In a conversation with a fellow Ancient Greek enthusiast, the name "Medusa" (Μέδουσα, "ruling") came up. I made a rather tortured pun by switching the epsilon to an eta, creating μὴ δοῦσα.
Now, μή is a negative particle, and δοῦσα is a participle from δέω, "bind". I dimly remember using μή, rather than οὐ, with participles. But is this particular construction grammatical? If so, what would it mean?
greek participium negation
greek participium negation
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
asked 3 hours ago
Draconis
14.2k11959
14.2k11959
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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δοῦσα is a feminine nom. sg. participle, but it's more likely to be taken as the aorist participle of δίδωμι 'give' than the present participle of δέω 'bind': generally, monosyllabic stems (like δε-) don't contract. That said, there are exceptions, and it looks like δοῦσα is actually attested as an alternate of the regular form δέουσα.
μή negates a participle when it has a conditional or general meaning. So μὴ δοῦσα could mean, if taking δοῦσα from δίδωμι, "if she had not given" or "whoever (fem.) did not give"; if taking it from δέω, it could mean "if she were not binding" or "whoever (fem.) does not bind".
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
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1 Answer
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δοῦσα is a feminine nom. sg. participle, but it's more likely to be taken as the aorist participle of δίδωμι 'give' than the present participle of δέω 'bind': generally, monosyllabic stems (like δε-) don't contract. That said, there are exceptions, and it looks like δοῦσα is actually attested as an alternate of the regular form δέουσα.
μή negates a participle when it has a conditional or general meaning. So μὴ δοῦσα could mean, if taking δοῦσα from δίδωμι, "if she had not given" or "whoever (fem.) did not give"; if taking it from δέω, it could mean "if she were not binding" or "whoever (fem.) does not bind".
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
δοῦσα is a feminine nom. sg. participle, but it's more likely to be taken as the aorist participle of δίδωμι 'give' than the present participle of δέω 'bind': generally, monosyllabic stems (like δε-) don't contract. That said, there are exceptions, and it looks like δοῦσα is actually attested as an alternate of the regular form δέουσα.
μή negates a participle when it has a conditional or general meaning. So μὴ δοῦσα could mean, if taking δοῦσα from δίδωμι, "if she had not given" or "whoever (fem.) did not give"; if taking it from δέω, it could mean "if she were not binding" or "whoever (fem.) does not bind".
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
δοῦσα is a feminine nom. sg. participle, but it's more likely to be taken as the aorist participle of δίδωμι 'give' than the present participle of δέω 'bind': generally, monosyllabic stems (like δε-) don't contract. That said, there are exceptions, and it looks like δοῦσα is actually attested as an alternate of the regular form δέουσα.
μή negates a participle when it has a conditional or general meaning. So μὴ δοῦσα could mean, if taking δοῦσα from δίδωμι, "if she had not given" or "whoever (fem.) did not give"; if taking it from δέω, it could mean "if she were not binding" or "whoever (fem.) does not bind".
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
δοῦσα is a feminine nom. sg. participle, but it's more likely to be taken as the aorist participle of δίδωμι 'give' than the present participle of δέω 'bind': generally, monosyllabic stems (like δε-) don't contract. That said, there are exceptions, and it looks like δοῦσα is actually attested as an alternate of the regular form δέουσα.
μή negates a participle when it has a conditional or general meaning. So μὴ δοῦσα could mean, if taking δοῦσα from δίδωμι, "if she had not given" or "whoever (fem.) did not give"; if taking it from δέω, it could mean "if she were not binding" or "whoever (fem.) does not bind".
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
13.4k2755
answered 3 hours ago
TKR
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13.4k2755
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