Particle used to give greater exactness, to the word or words which it influences (prob. a shortened form of ἤδη, Lat. jam) now, in truth, indeed, surely, really.
I.Usage of δή with single words:
1.after Adjectives, οἶος δή, μόνος δή, all alone, Od., etc.; esp. such as imply magnitude, μέγας δή, μικρὸς δή, etc.; often with Superlatives, μέγιστος δή, κράτιστος δή quite the greatest, confessedly the best, Thuc.; so with Numerals, ὀκτώ δὴ προέηκα ὀϊστούς I have shot full eight arrows, Il.; εἷς δή one only, Eur., etc.
2.after Adverbs, πολλάκις δή many times and oft, often ere now, Lat. jam saepe, Il.; ὀψὲ δὲ δή quite late, id=Il.; νῦν δή even now, now first, now at length, Xen., etc.:— τότε δή at that very time, Thuc.; αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα on the very spot, Plat.; also, ναὶ δή yea verily, Il.; οὐ δή surely not, Soph.
3.with Verbs, δὴ γὰρ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσι for verily I saw him, Il.
4.with Substantives, ἐς δὴ τὸ Ἄργος τοῦτο . . well to this A. they came, Hdt.; τέλος δή its complete end, Aesch.; ironically, Lat. scilicet, εἰσήγαγε τὰς ἑταιρίδας δή the pretended courtesans, Xen.
5.with Pronouns, to mark strongly, ἐμὲ δή a man like me, Hdt.; σὺ δή you of all persons, id=Hdt.; οὗτος δή this and no other, id=Hdt.; ὅς δή who plainly, Il.:—with indef. Pronouns, ἄλλοι δή others be they who they may, id=Il.; δή τις some one or other, Lat. nescio quis, Plat.; δή τι in any way, whatever it be, Il., Hdt.
II.in reference to whole clauses:
1.to continue a narrative, so then, so, τότε μὲν δὴ ἡσυχίην εἶχε Hdt.; in summing up, τοιαῦτα μὲν δὴ ταῦτα, Lat. haec hactenus, Aesch.
3.with Imperat. and Subj., ἐννοεῖτε γὰρ δή for do but consider, Xen.; so, ἄγε δή, φέρε δή, ἴθι δή, σκόπει δή, etc.
4.γε δή to express what follows a fortiori, μετὰ ὅπλων γε δή above all with arms, Thuc.; μή τί γε δή not to mention that, Dem.