Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

THE INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

[*] 1267. In the singular, τὶς is used in a collective sense: everybody (for anybody); cp. Germ. man, Fr. on: ““ἀλλὰ μι_σεῖ τις ἐκεῖνον” but everybody detests him” D. 4.8. ἕκαστός τις, πᾶς τις each one, every one are generally used in this sense. τὶς may be a covert allusion to a known person: δώσει τις δίκην some one (i.e. you) will pay the penalty Ar. Ran. 554. It may also stand for I or we. Even when added to a noun with the article, τὶς denotes the indefiniteness of the person referred to: ὅταν δ᾽ ὁ κύ_ριος παρῇ τις, ὑ_μῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν ἡγεμών κτλ. but whenever your master arrives, whoever he be that is your leader, etc. S. O. C. 289. With a substantive, τὶς may often be rendered a, an, as in ““ἕτερός τις δυνάστης” another dignitary” X. A. 1.2.20; or, to express indefiniteness of nature, by a sort of, etc., as in εἰ μὲν θεοί τινές εἰσιν οἱ δαίμονες if the ‘daimones’ are a sort of gods P. A. 27d.

[*] 1268. With adjectives, adverbs, and numerals, τὶς may strengthen or weaken an assertion, apologize for a comparison, and in general qualify a statement: ““δεινός τις ἀνήρ” a very terrible man” P. R. 596c, ““μύωψ τις” a sort of gad-fly” P. A. 30e, ““σχεδόν τι” pretty nearly” X. O. 4.11, ““τριά_κοντά τινες” about 30” T. 8.73. But in παρεγένοντό τινες δύο νῆες the numeral is appositional to τινές (certain, that is, two ships joined them) T. 8.100.

[*] 1269. τὶς, τὶ sometimes means somebody , or something, of importance: ““τὸ δοκεῖν τινὲς εἶναι” the seeming to be somebody” D. 21.213, ““ἔδοξέ τι λέγειν” he seemed to say something of moment” X. C. 1.4.20.

[*] 1270. τὶ is not omitted in ““θαυμαστὸν λέγεις” what you say is wonderful” P. L. 657a. ἤ τις ἢ οὐδείς means few or none X. C. 7.5.45, ““ἤ τι ἢ οὐδέν” little or nothing” P. A. 17b.