H .
H
H, h, h\ta
,
tov
, indecl., seventh letter of the Gr. alphabet; as numeral
hV
=
ojktwv
and
o[gdoo"
, but
Ëh
=
8000. The uncial form of Eta (H) was a double
e
(E E) and prob. it was pronounced as a long
e
,
cf.
dh`lo"
(from
develo"
). The old Alphabet had only one sign (E) for the
e
sound, till the long vowels
h
and
w
were introduced from the Samian Alphabet in the archonship of Euclides, B. C. 403. The sign H, before it was taken to represent the double
e
, was used for the spiritus asper, as
HOS
for
o{"
, (which remains in the Latin
H). When H was taken to represent
eµ
, it was at the same time cut in two, so that |- represented the spir. asper, -| the spir. lenis; whence came the present signs for the breathings. As to dialectic changes,
1. the vowel h was much used by the Ion. , being in Aeol. and Dor. replaced by a<Eth> , as also in Att. , but mostly after r or a vowel, prhvssw qwvrhx ijhtrov" , Att. pravssw qwvrax ijatrov" .
2.
in
Att.
,
ei
and
hi
were not seldom changed into
h/
, as
klei`qra klh`/qra, Nhrhivde" Nhrh`/de"
.
3.
Dor.
and
Aeol.
for
ei
, as
th`no", kh`no"
for
kei`no"
.
h[
h[ , Ep. also hjev , Conjunction with two chief senses, Disjunctive and Comparative.
A. DISJUNCTIVE , or, Lat. vel , to subjoin one or more clauses differing from the first, h[kousa" h] oujk h[kousa" h] kwfh`/ levgw ; Aesch. :— h[. . , h[ . . , either. . , or. . , Lat. aut. . , aut. . , Hom ., etc.
II. in indirect Questions, eij. . , h] . . , whether. . , or. . , Lat. utrum. . , an. . , eijdw`men eij nikw`men h] nikwvmeqa Aesch .:—but in Hom. h]. . , h] (or h\ ) . . is used for eij , Lat. an , eijpe; h] . . , say whether. . , Od.
B. COMPARATIVE , than, as, Lat. quam , Hom ., etc. : after Adjs. which imply comparison, as a[llo", e{tero", ajlloi`o", diplavsio", ejnantivo", i[dio", pollaplavsio" , and after the Advs. privn, provsqen ; so, after Verbs implying comparison, bouvlesqai h[ . . to wish rather than. .; fqavnein h[ . . to come sooner than. . , etc.
2. h[ sometimes joins two Comparatives, when they both refer to the same subject, ejlafrovteroi h] ajfneiovteroi to be swifter rather than richer, Od.; tacuvtera h] sofwvtera Hdt.
3.
rarely after a
Sup.
,
plei`sta qwumavsia e[cei Ai[gupto" h] a[llh pa`sa cwvrh
Id.
4.
h[
is often omitted with numerals after
plevwn, ejlavttwn, meivwn
, as,
e[th plevw eJbdomhvkonta
Plat.
[When
h] ouj, h] oujk
come together in a verse, the two coalesce into one
syll.
]
h[
h[ , an exclamation, to call ones attention to a thing, h[, h[, siwvpa Ar.
h\
h\ , Adv. , with two chief senses, Confirmative and Interrogative:
I. TO CONFIRM an assertion, in truth, truly, verily, of a surety, Hom ., etc. ; often strengthd. by other Particles, as h\ a[ra, h\ dhv, h\ dhv pou, h\ mavla , etc. ;—and to express doubt, h\ pou ;— h\ mhvn , Ion. and Ep. h\ mevn, h\ mavn , used in protestations and oaths, su; moi o[mosson, h\ mevn moi ajrhvxein Hom ., etc.
II. in INTERROG . sentences, Lat. num ? pray? or can it be? —also h\ oujk . . ; Lat. nonne ? Particles are often added to this h\, h\ rJa, h\ a[ra dhv , etc.
h\