[*] 389. Potential optative. The optative is the ideal mood of the Greek language, the mood of the fancy. The wish is father to the thought, and “fancy” has a double signification, moral as well as intellectual. But the intellectual use, the use in qualified assertions or the so-called potential use, is confined to the optative with “ἄν”, except in poetry. The prose examples are comparatively few, and are either doubtful or occur in fixed formulae. The negative of the potential optative is “οὐ”. For examples, see Optative with “ἄν”.
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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