αἰ, αἴ : if, if
only, whether; conjunction, used in conditional clauses, and
in the expression of a wish; always with κέ,
κέν (never ἄν), or γάρ, and never separated from these particles
by another particle (εἰ δέ κε, never
αἰ δέ κε).—I. conditional,
regularly foll. by subj., rarely by opt. (Il.
7.387, Od. 13.389). Here
belongs the so-called ‘interrogative’ use, as
πειρήσομαι αἴ κε τύχωμι, Il. 5.279.—II. optative, to
express a wish, ‘would that,’ αἲ γάρ, or αἲ γὰρ δή w.
opt., generally referring to fut. time, but sometimes of an
unfulfilled wish in pres. time (Il.
7.132); foll. by inf., Od.
7.311, Od.
24.376.