μέν

mevn mevn, a weakened form of
mhvn, and hence, properly a particle of affirmation: truly, certainly, surely, indeed -- its affirmative force being weakened, yet retained most in Ionic, Epic, and Herodotus, and not wholly lost in Attic and Hellenistic writers (
mevn `confirmative'; cf. ). Owing to this its original meaning it adds a certain force to the terms and phrases with which it is connected, and thus contrasts them with or distinguishes them from others. Accordingly, it takes on the character of a concessive and very often of a merely distinctive particle, which stands related to a following
dev or other adversative conjunction, either expressed or understood, and in a sentence composed of several members is so placed as to point out the first member, to which a second, marked by an adversative particle, is added or opposed. It corresponds to the Latin quidem, indeed, German zwar (i. e. properly, zu Wahre, i. e. in Wahrheit (in truth)); but often its force cannot be reproduced. Its use in classic Greek is exhibited by Devarius i., p. 122ff, and Klotz on the same ii. 2, p. 656ff; Viger i., p. 531ff, and Hermann on the same, p. 824f; others; Matthiae, sec. 622; K?hner, ii., p. 806ff, sec. 527ff; p. 691ff; sec. 503; (Jelf, sec. 729, 1, 2; sec. 764ff); Passow, and Pape (and Liddell and Scott), under the word.I. Examples in which the particle
mevn is followed in another member by an adversative particle expressed. Of these examples there are two kinds:1. those in which
mevn has a concessive force, and
dev (or
ajllav) introduces a restriction, correction, or amplification of what has been said in the former member, indeed ... but, yet, on the other hand. Persons or things, or predications about either, are thus correlated: , cf. (where T Tr WH omit; L brackets
mevn); (where the meaning is, `I indeed baptize as well as he who is to come after me, but his baptism is of greater efficacy'; cf. ); and (although the harvest is great, yet the laborers are few); f (rightly indeed is it said that Elijah will come and work the
ajpokatavstasi", but he has already come to bring about this very thing); ; ; ; ; f; (although I am a Jew, and not that Egyptian, yet etc.); (R); ; ; ; ; f; (R G L brackets Tr brackets WH marginal reading); (R. G L brackets); ; f; , and often.
mevn and
dev are added to articles and pronouns:
oiJ
mevn ...
oiJ
dev, the one indeed ... but the other (although the latter, yet the former), f (according to the critical text);
o{"
mevn ...
o{"
dev, the one indeed, but (yet) the other etc. f;
tine"
mevn ...
tine"
dev
kaiv, ; with conjunctions:
eij
mevn
ou\n, if indeed then, if therefore ...
eij
dev, but if, f R G; f; L T Tr WH (
eij
mevn
ou\n ...
nuniv
dev, f (here R G
eij
mevn
gavr));
eij
mevn ...
nu'n
dev, if inde