ἐάν

See also: εάν, ἐᾶν, and Appendix:Variations of "ean"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἤν (ḗn)
• ἄν (án)

Etymology

Univerbation of εἰ (ei, “if”) and ἄν (án, subjunctive particle). The process by which the diphthong ει (ei) and short ᾰ (a) developed into short ε (e) and long ᾱ (ā) may be quantitative metathesis.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /e.ǎːn/ → /eˈan/ → /eˈan/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.ǎːn/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /eˈan/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /eˈan/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /eˈan/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /eˈan/

Conjunction

ἐᾱ́ν • (eā́n)

1. if (for more depth see εἰ (ei) and ἄν (án)

Descendants

• Greek: αν (an)
• Greek: εάν (eán)

Particle

ἐᾱ́ν • (eā́n) (modal particle)

1. (New Testament Koine) Used in place of ἄν (án) after relative pronouns and conjunctions
   • 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 5:19:

     ὃς ἐὰν [= ὃς ἂν] οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων ..., ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν

     hòs eàn [= hòs àn] oûn lúsēi mían tôn entolôn toútōn tôn elakhístōn ..., elákhistos klēthḗsetai en têi basileíāi tôn ouranôn

     So, whoever annuls one of the smallest of the laws ..., will be the smallest in the kingdom of heaven

   • 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 8:19:

     Διδάσκαλε, ἀκολουθήσω σοι ὅπου ἐὰν [= ὅπου ἂν] ἀπέρχῃ.

     Didáskale, akolouthḗsō soi hópou eàn [= hópou àn] apérkhēi.

     Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go off to.

   • 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 18:18:

     Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅσα ἐὰν [= ὅσα ἂν] δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν [= ὅσα ἂν] λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ.

     Amḕn légō humîn, hósa eàn [= hósa àn] dḗsēte epì tês gês éstai dedeména en ouranôi kaì hósa eàn [= hósa àn] lúsēte epì tês gês éstai leluména en ouranôi.

     Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.

   • New Testament, Epistle to the Colossians 3:23:

     ὃ ἐὰν [= ὃ ἂν] ποιῆτε, ἐκ ψυχῆς ἐργάζεσθε, ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις

     hò eàn [= hò àn] poiête, ek psukhês ergázesthe, hōs tôi kuríōi kaì ouk anthrṓpois

     Whatever you do, perform it heartily, as for the Lord and not for people

2. (Classical Greek) Used instead of ἄν (án) for Future Open Conditionals (If X happens, Y will happen)

References

• “ἐάν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἐάν”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἐάν in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἐάν in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• G1437 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • assuming idem, page 47.
  • if idem, page 414.
  • supposing idem, page 841.