Ancient Greek Handouts

Understanding Double Negatives in Classical Greek

Double negatives. In Greek two negatives often appear in the same
sentence. If the first negative is a compound (e.g., a form of οὐδείς or
µηδείς) and the second is a simple οὐ or µή, the two cancel each other out,
making a positive statement. Example:
οὐδὲν οὐκ οἶδα.
Literal translation: “I do not know nothing.”
Fluent translation: “I know everything.”
If the οὐ or µή comes before the compound negative, or if both negatives in
the sentence are compounds, the second simply emphasizes the negativity
of the first. Examples:
οὐκ οἶδα οὐδέν.
Literal translation: “I don’t know not even one thing.”
Fluent translation: “I don’t know anything.”
οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν οἶδεν.
Literal translation: “No one knows not even one thing.”
Fluent translation: “No one knows anything.”
- Anne Groton

Examples

Greek: οὐδεὶς οὐδένα οὐ λύει.

Literal English: Nobody not frees nobody.

Translated: Nobody frees anybody.

Greek: οὐ μή τις ἐκεῖθεν ἀπέλθῃ.

Literal English: Not not anyone will leave from there.

Translated: No one will leave from there at all.

This handout provides a brief overview of double negatives in Classical Greek. For further study, it's recommended to consult a comprehensive Greek grammar resource.