mḗ

From Proto-Hellenic *mḗ, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁ (prohibitive particle). Cognate with Old Armenian մի (mi), Sanskrit मा (mā), Old Persian 𐎶𐎠 (m-a /⁠mā⁠/), and Albanian mos.

Pronunciation

[ more ▼] 

• IPA^(key): /mɛ̌ː/ → /mi/ → /mi/

Particle

μή • (mḗ) (negative particle)

1. not (used in clauses expressing will or thought)
   1. (with an imperative or subjunctive in negative commands)
   2. (with an optative or past indicative, expressing a negative wish)
   3. (in a question expecting a negative answer)
   4. (in dependent clauses)
   5. (with participle representing conditional clause)
2. (in warnings or statements of fear)
   1. (in independent clauses) that ... not; that [ quotations ▼]
   2. (introducing indirect statement after verb of fearing or apprehension) that

Usage notes

μή is the negative of thought or wish, but οὐ (ou) of objective statements of fact.