αἴ

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.