[*] 2951.
οὐκοῦν interrogative:
not therefore? not then? (
nonne,
igitur? nonne ergo?). Here the stress lies on the inferential
οὖν and an affirmative answer is expected as a matter of course.
οὐκοῦν stands at the beginning of its clause.
οὐκοῦν . . . εὖ σοι δοκοῦσι βουλεύεσθαι; πρός γε ἃ ὁρῶσι do you not then think that they lay their plans well? Yes,
with regard to what they see X. C. 7.1.8.
a. When a negative answer is expected we have
οὐκοῦν οὐ (
P. Phil. 43d).
b. οὐκοῦν and
οὖν stand in parallel questions in
X. A. 1.6.7-8.
c. Some scholars write
οὔκουν or
οὐκ οὖν for
οὐκοῦν interrogative (and inferential).
[*] 2952.
οὐκοῦν inferential:
then,
well then, therefore,
accordingly (
ergo,
igitur). Inferential
οὐκοῦν was developed, probably in colloquial speech, from the interrogative use, the speaker anticipating the affirmative answer to his question and emphasizing only the inference. From the negative question all that was left was an expression of his own opinion on the part of the speaker.
οὐκοῦν has become so completely equivalent to
οὖν that a negative has to be added if one is required.
οὐκοῦν, ὅταν δὴ μὴ σθένω, πεπαύσομαι well then, when my strength fails,
I shall cease S. Ant. 91, ““
ἢ . . . τοὺς ἀμύ_νεσθαι κελεύοντας πόλεμον ποιεῖν φήσομεν; οὐκοῦν ὑπόλοιπον δουλεύειν”
or shall we say that those who bid us defend ourselves make war? Then it is left for us to be slaves”
D. 8.59.
οὐκοῦν is used even with imperatives; as ““
οὐκοῦν . . . ἱκανῶς ἐχέτω”
accordingly let it suffice”
P. Phae. 274b.
a. Editors often differ whether, in certain cases,
οὐκοῦν is interrogative or inferential.
[*] 2953.
οὔκουν not then, therefore not, so not, at any rate . . . not,
surely not (
non igitur, non ergo). Here
οὐ is strongly emphasized, and
οὖν is either confirmative or inferential.
οὔκουν is usually placed at the beginning of its clause.
a. In emphatic negative answers; as ““
οὔκουν ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ”
certainly not, in my opinion at least”
X. O. 1.9.
b. In continuous discourse (
P. L. 807a).
c. οὔκουν . . . γε returns a negative answer with qualified acquiescence in a preceding statement. Thus,
τούτων ἄρα Ζεύς ἐστιν ἀσθενέστερος; οὔκουν ἂν ἐκφύγοι ““
γε τὴν πεπρωμένην”
is Zeus then weaker than these? Fate at least he surely cannot escape”
A. Pr. 517.
d. In impatient or excited questions (
non? non igitur?). Thus,
οὔκουν ἐρεῖς ποτ᾽, εἶτ᾽ ἀπαλλαχθεὶς ἄπει;
wilt thou not speak and so depart and be gone? S. Ant. 244.
[*] 2954.
οὐκ (
μὴ)
οὖν is to be distinguished from
οὐκοῦν or
οὔκουν. Thus, ““
ὁπότε καὶ πείρᾳ του σφαλεῖεν, οὐκ οὖν καὶ τὴν πόλιν γε τῆς σφετέρα_ς ἀρετῆς ἀξιοῦντες στερίσκειν”
whenever they were foiled in any attempt they did not for this reason think it right to deprive their city of their valour”
T. 2.43 (
μὴ οὖν 8.
91).
a. Hdt. has
οὐκ ὦν (sometimes written
οὔκων) to emphasize an idea opposed to what goes before (
non tamen). Thus,
ταῦτα λέγοντες τοὺς Κροτωνιήτα_ς οὐκ ὦν ἔπειθον by these words they did not however persuade the men of Croton 3. 137.
