Lexical Definition

‎ἦ‎ ē (ay) surely G:ADV
an adverb of confirmation; perhaps intensive of ‎ἤ‎; used only (in the New Testament) before ‎μέν‎

surely.

Abbott-Smith

ἦ (μήν), v.s. εἰ, iii, 7.

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἦ,

adverb, never in the form ἦε (ἠέ):

__I TO CONFIRM an assertion, in truth, of a surety, ἦ ὀλίγον οἷ παῖδα ἐοικότα γείνατο Τυδεύς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with concessive force, it is true that.. : hence, although.. , ἦ καὶ γένει ὕστερος ἦεν [Refs]: frequently strengthened by the addition of one or two other Particles, as ἦ ἄρα [ἦ ἄρα δή 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 13.446; ἦ ῥα 4.82; ἦ ῥά νυ 6.215; ἦ γάρ 1.78; ἦ γάρ τοι 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 16.199; ἦ δή 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.272; ἦ δή που 21.583; ἦ δῆτα 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 429; ἦ θην 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 20.452; ἦ κάρτα 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 1279; ἦ μάλα 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 3.204; ἦ μάλα δή 5.422 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ μήν and ἦ μέν (see. below); ἦ νυ [ἦ τάχα 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 18.73; ἦ τε 13.211: and to express doubt, ἦ που, see at {ἦ που} and ποῦ: especially ἦ μήν">Refs 8th c.BC+] used in oaths and asseverations, [ἦ μάν 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.370, 13.354, 7th-6th c.BC: Sappho Lyrica “Papyrus fragments” in E. Diehl, 23.5; ἦ μέν 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 10.65 (later εἶ μήν, see at {εἷ})">Refs 8th c.BC+]: with infinitive in indirect speech, after Verbs of swearing, etc., σὺ δὲ σύνθεο, καί μοι ὄμοσσον, ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ μέν also in Ionic dialect historical Prose, [ἦ μὴν παραμενεῖν 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 115d ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐγγυητὰς καταστῆσαι ἦ μὴν ἐκτείσειν Legal cited in [Refs 4th c.BC+]: with other Particles, ἦ μὲν δή [ἦ δὴ μάν 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 17.538. ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__I.2 in the combinations ἐπεὶ ἦ, ὅτι ἢ and τί ; [Refs 2nd c.AD+] (παραπληρωματικὸς σύνδεσμος) perispomenon after ἐπεί, barytone after ὅτι or τί. It is probably the same as the affirmative ἦ [Refs 2nd c.AD+], and occurs in the same combinations, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολύ.. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπεὶ ἦ μάλα[ἦ καί.. 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 20.437, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 16.442. 1st c.BC: Trypho Grammaticus took τίη">Refs 8th c.BC+] as one word, and this can be supported by τί ἢ δὲ σύ.. [Refs 8th c.BC+] was two words. The Attic accentuation is said by [Refs]
__I.3 this ἦ (or ἢ) is probably to be recognized in ὥς τε γὰρ ἦ [ἦ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 3.348, 19.109, where codices have ἢ (in 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 3.348 ἠδέ (conjecture Bekker) should perhaps be read for ἠέ). ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II in Questions not involving alternatives:
__II.1 Direct questions,
__II.1.a epexegetic of a preceding question, suggesting the answer to it, τίπτ᾽ εἰλήλουθα; ἦ ἵνα ὕβριν ἴδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονο; why hast thou come? is it that thou mayst see.. ? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τί δῆτα χρῄζει; ἦ με γῆς ἔξω βαλεῖ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίς σοι διηγεῖτ; ἦ αὐτὸς Σωκράτη; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.1.b not epexegetic of a preceding question, ἦ σύ γ᾽ Ὀδυσσεύς ἐσσι πολύτροπο; art thou the wily Odysseus? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ οὐκ ὀτρύνοντος ἀκούετε.. Ἕκτορο; do you not hear.[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ τὸ πλοῖον ἀφῖκτα; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦ οὐ δοκεῖ καὶ σοὶ οὕτ; don't you think so too? [ἦ βούλει συλλογισώμεθα αὐτ; shall we work them (the consequences) out? [prev. work] 479c (\_perispomenon\_, codex T)">Refs]; ἦ τορῶς λέγ; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἦ κἀν δόμοισι τυγχάνει τανῦν παρώ; [ἦ ἄρ..; 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 20.166, 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 19.56; mostly ἦ ῥα..; 5.421, 762, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 4.632 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; also in Trag. (in Lyric poetry), [Refs 5th c.BC+]: especially to mark the first of several questions, [Refs 5th c.BC+] ff.; ἦ ἄρα δή..; [ἦ ῥά νυ..; 4.93; ἦ νυ..; 15.128 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦ ταῦτα δή..; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦ ταῦτα δῆτα..; [Refs]; ἦ γάρ..; [ἦ γάρ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; standing alone, is it not so? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦ καί..; [Refs 4th c.BC+] —ἦ usually begins the sentence, except that the vocative may precede, as in [Refs 8th c.BC+] —by Crasis ἦ combines with ἄρα in _Attic dialect_ and the κοινή to ἆρα (which see), in all other dialects [ἦρα (which see), but ἆρα is found in 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 4.78 (ἄρα codices), +others, 7th c.BC: Archilochus Lyricus 86, 89. ">Refs 7th c.BC+]
__II.2 Indirect questions, οἴχετο πευσόμενος μετὰ σὸν κλέος ἤ που ἔτ᾽ εἴης [Refs 8th c.BC+], which alone has Ms. authority in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ.. ἢ καὶ Λαέρτῃ αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἄγγελος ἔλθ; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀμφίστασθαι ἦ κα πεφυτεύκωντι πάντα κὰτ τὰν συνθήκαν they shall investigate whether.. [ἦ λώϊόν οἵ κα εἴη 3rd c.BC: Isyllus Lyricus 34; διαφαφίξασθαι ἦ δοκεῖ αὐτὸν στεφανῶσαι “IG” 12(3).170.12 (from Astypalaea): accented ἤ in codices 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus, but it should perhaps be \_perispomenon\_ ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A ἦ, for ἔφη, 3rd.pers. singular imperfect or aorist 2 of ἠμί (which see). ἦ, for ἦν, Attic dialect contraction from Ionic ἔα, imperfect of εἰμί (sum).