Original Word: ἄνにゅー
Part of Speech: Particle, Disjunctive Particle
Transliteration: an
Phonetic Spelling: (an)
Definition: usually untranslatable, but generally denoting supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty
Usage: an untranslatable word (under the circumstances, in that case, anyhow), the general effect of which is to make a statement contingent, which would otherwise be definite: it is thus regularly used with the subjunctive mood.

302 án – a conditional particle expressing possibility, based on a preexisting condition (stipulation, prerequisite). This adds an important theoretical (hypothetical) sense to a statement which narrows down the sense of that statement.

302 (an) "indicates what can (could) occur – but only on certain conditions, or by the combination of certain fortuitous causes" (J. Thayer). Only the context determines how 302 (án) "limits" ("conditions") the statement by the possibility (condition) involved. Accordingly, 302 (án) is often called the "untranslatable particle." However, it always influences ("conditions") its sentence and is key to properly understanding the verse (passage) in which it occurs.

[Though 302 (án) is not easily "translatable," it always conveys important meaning. (The KJV sometimes translates an as "perchance," "haply.")

302 (an) is used about 300 times in the NT, introducing statements that have conditional or hypothetical meaning.]

Word Origin
a prim. conditional particle
Definition
usually untranslatable, but generally denoting supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty
NASB Translation
however* (1), if (4), unless* (1), what* (3), whatever* (9), whenever* (1), wherever* (1), whoever* (38), whomever* (5).

STRONGS NT 302: ἄνにゅー (1)

ἄνにゅー (1), a particle indicating that something can or could occur on certain conditions, or by the combination of certain fortuitous causes. In Latin it has no equivalent; nor do the English haply, perchance, German wohl (wol),etwa, exactly and everywhere correspond to it. The use of this particle in the N. T., illustrated by copious examples from Greek writers, is shown by Winers Grammar, § 42; (cf. Buttmann, 216ff (186ff). Its use in classic Greek is fully exhibited (by Prof. Goodwin) in Liddell and Scott, under the word). It is joined:

I. in the apodoses of hypothetical sentences

1. with the imperfect, where the Latin uses the imperfect subjunctive, e. g. Luke 7:39 (ἐγίνωσκεν ἄνにゅー, sciret, he would know); Luke 17:6 (ἐλέγετε ἄνにゅー ye would say); Matthew 23:30 (non essemus, we should not have been); John 5:46; John 8:42; John 9:41; John 15:19; John 18:36; 1 Corinthians 11:31; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 3:21 (but WH marginal reading brackets); Hebrews 4:8; Hebrews 8:4, 7.

2. with the indicative aorist (where the Latin uses the pluperfect subjunctive like the future perfect subjunctive, I would have done it), to express what would have been, if this or that either were (εいぷしろんἰ with the imperfect in the protasis preceding), or had been (εいぷしろんἰ with the aorist or pluperfect preceding): Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 (ἄνにゅー μετενόησαν they would have repented; Matthew 11:23; Matthew 12:7 (ye would not have condemned); Matthew 24:43 (he would have watched), 22 and Mark 13:20 (no one would have been saved, i. e. all even now would have to be regarded as those who had perished; cf. Winer's Grammar, 304 (286)); John 4:10 (thou wouldst have asked); John 14:2 (εいぷしろんἶπぱいοおみくろんνにゅー ἄνにゅー I would have said so); John 14:28 (ye would have rejoiced); Romans 9:29 (we should have become); 1 Corinthians 2:8; Galatians 4:15 (R G); Acts 18:14. Sometimes the condition is not expressly stated, but is easily gathered from what is said: Luke 19:23 and Matthew 25:27 (I should have received it back with interest, namely, if thou hadst given it to the bankers).

3. with the pluperfect: John 11:21 (R Tr marginal reading) (οおみくろんὐκかっぱ ἄνにゅー ἐτεθνήκει (L T Tr text WH ἀπέθανεν) would not have died, for which, in John 11:32, the aorist οおみくろんὐκかっぱ ἄνにゅー ἀπέθανε); John 14:7 (not Tdf.) (εいぷしろんἰ with the pluperfect preceding); 1 John 2:19 (they would have remained with us). Sometimes (as in Greek writings, especially the later) ἄνにゅー is omitted, in order to intimate that the thing wanted but little (imperfect) or had wanted but little (pluperfect or aorist) of being done, which yet was not done because the condition was not fulfilled (cf. Alex. Alexander Buttmann (1873) in the Studien und Kritiken for 1858, p. 489ff; (N. T. Gram., p. 225 (194)); Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii., 33; Winer's Grammar, § 42, 2, p. 305 (286)), e. g. John 8:39 (where the ἄνにゅー is spurious); John 15:22, 24; John 19:11; Acts 26:32; Romans 7:7; Galatians 4:15 (ἄνにゅー before ἐδώκατέ has been correctly expunged by L T Tr WH).

II. Joined to relative pronouns, relative adverbs, and adverbs of time and quality, it has the same force as the Latincumque orcunque, -ever, -soever (German irgend,etwa).

1. followed by a past tense of the indicative, when some matter of fact, something certain, is spoken of; where, "when the thing itself which is said to have been done is certain, the notion of uncertainty involved in ἄνにゅー belongs rather to the relative, whether pronoun or particle" (Klotz ad Der., p. 145) (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 42, 3 a.); ὅσしぐまοおみくろんιいおた ἄνにゅー as many as: Mark 6:56 (ὅσしぐまοおみくろんιいおた ἄνにゅー ἥπτοντο (ἥψαντο L text T Tr text WH) αあるふぁὐτたうοおみくろんῦ as many as touched him (cf. Buttmann, 216 (187))); Mark 11:24 (ὅσしぐまαあるふぁ ἄνにゅー προσευχόμενοι αあるふぁἰτたうεいぷしろんῖσしぐまθしーたεいぷしろん (Griesbach omits ἄνにゅー), but L text T Tr WH have rightly restored ὅσしぐまαあるふぁ προσεύχεσθε καί αあるふぁἰτたうεいぷしろんῖσしぐまθしーたεいぷしろん). καθότι ἄνにゅー in so far or so often as, according as (German jenachdemgerade): Acts 2:45; Acts 4:35. ὡς ἄνにゅー: 1 Corinthians 12:2 (in whatever manner ye were led (cf. Buttmann, § 139, 13; 383 (329f))).

2. followed by a subjunctive,

a. the present, concerning that which may have been done, or is usually or constantly done (where the German usesmögen); ἡνίκα ἄνにゅー whensoever, as often as": 2 Corinthians 3:15 L T Tr WH; ὅς ἄνにゅー whoever, be he who he may: Matthew 16:25 (L T Tr WH ἐάν); (Mark 8:35 (where T Tr WH future indicative; see WH's Appendix, p. 172)); Luke 10:5 (L T Tr WH aorist); Luke 10:8; Galatians 5:17 (T Tr WH ἐάν, L brackets ἐάν); 1 John 2:5; 1 John 3:17; Romans 9:15 (Exodus 33:19); Romans 16:2; 1 Corinthians 11:27 etc. ὅστις ἄνにゅー: 1 Corinthians 16:2 (Tr WH ἐάν; WH marginal reading aorist); Colossians 3:17 (L text Tr WH ἐάν). ὅσしぐまοおみくろんιいおた ἄνにゅー: Matthew 7:12 (T WH ἐάν); (L T Tr WH ἐάν). ὅπぱいοおみくろんυうぷしろん ἄνにゅー whithersoever: Luke 9:57 (L Tr ἐάν); Revelation 14:4 (L Tr (T edition 7 not 8, WH) have adopted ὑπάγει, defended also by Buttmann, 228 (196)); James 3:4 (R G L Tr marginal reading in brackets). ὁσάκις ἄνにゅー how often soever: 1 Corinthians 11:25f (where L T Tr WH ἐάν). ὡς ἄνにゅー in what way soever: 1 Thessalonians 2:7 ((cf. Ellicott at the passage; Buttmann, 232 (201))), L T Tr WH ἐάν).

b. the aorist, where the Latin uses the future perfect; ὅς ἄνにゅー: Matthew 5:21, 22 (εいぷしろんἴπぱいῃ whoever, if ever anyone shall have said); Matthew 5:31f (in Matthew 5:32 L T Tr WH read πぱいᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων); Matthew 10:11; Matthew 26:48 (Tdf. ἐάν); Mark 3:29, 35; Mark 9:41, etc. ὅστις ἄνにゅー: Matthew 10:33 (L Tr WH text omit ἄνにゅー); ; John 14:13 (Tr marginal reading WH present); Acts 3:23 (Tdf. ἐάν), etc. ὅσしぐまοおみくろんιいおた ἄνにゅー: Matthew 21:22 (Treg. ἐάν); Matthew 23:3 (T WH ἐάν); Mark 3:28 (Tr WH ἐάν); Luke 9:5 (L T Tr WH present); John 11:22; Acts 2:39 (Lachmann οおみくろんὕς); . ὅπぱいοおみくろんυうぷしろん ἄνにゅー: Mark 14:9 (T WH ἐάν); (L T Tr WH ἐάν). ἄχρις οおみくろんὗ ἄνにゅー until (donec): 1 Corinthians 15:25 Rec.; Revelation 2:25. ἕως ἄνにゅー until (usquedum): Matthew 2:13; Matthew 10:11; Matthew 22:44; Mark 6:10; Luke 21:32; 1 Corinthians 4:5, etc. ἡνίκα ἄνにゅー, of future time, not until then, when ... or then at length, when ...: 2 Corinthians 3:16 (T WH text ἐάν) (cf. Kühner, 2:951; Jelf, 2:565). ὡς ἄνにゅー as soon as (Buttmann, 232 (200)): 1 Corinthians 11:34; Philippians 2:23. ἀφふぁい' οおみくろんὗ ἄνにゅー ἐγερθῇ, Luke 13:25 (from the time, whatever the time is, when he shall have risen up). But ἐάν (which see) is also joined to the pronouns and adverbs mentioned, instead of ἄνにゅー; and in many places the manuscripts and editions fluctuate between ἄνにゅー and ἐάν (examples of which have already been adduced); (cf. Tdf. Proleg., p. 96; WH's Appendix, p. 173 "predominantly ἄνにゅー is found after consonants, and ἐάν after vowels"). Finally, to this head must be referred ὅτたうαあるふぁνにゅー (equivalent to ὅτたうεいぷしろん ἄνにゅー) with the indicative and much more often with the subjunctive (see ὅτたうαあるふぁνにゅー), and ὅπως ἄνにゅー, although this last came to be used as a final conjunction in the sense, that, if it be possible: Luke 2:35); Acts 3:20 (); ; Romans 3:4; see ὅπως, IL 1 b. (Cf. Winers Grammar, 309 (290f); Buttmann, 234 (201).)

III. ἄνにゅー is joined to the optative (Winers Grammar, 303 (284); Buttmann, 217 (188)); when a certain condition is laid down, as in wishes, I would that etc.: Acts 26:29 (εいぷしろんὐξαίμην (Tdf. εいぷしろんὐξάμην) ἄνにゅー, I could pray, namely, did it depend on me); in direct questions (Winers Grammar, the passage cited; Buttmann, 254 (219)): Acts 8:31 (πぱいῶς ἄνにゅー δυναίμην; i. e. on what condition, by what possibility, could I? cf. Xenophon, oec. 11, 5); Acts 17:18 (τί ἄνにゅー θέλοι ... λέγειν what would he say? it being assumed that he wishes to utter some definite notion or other); Acts 2:12 R G; independent sentences and indirect questions in which the narrator introduces another's thought (Winers Grammar, § 42, 4; Buttmann, the passage cited]: Luke 1:62; Luke 6:11; Luke 9:46; (Luke 15:26 L brackets Tr WH; cf. Luke 18:36 Lbr. Trbr. WH marginal reading); Acts 5:24; Acts 10:17; Acts 17:20 R G.

IV. ἄνにゅー is found without a mood in 1 Corinthians 7:5 (εいぷしろんἰ μή τί ἄνにゅー (WH brackets ἄνにゅー), except perhaps, namely, γένοιτο (but cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) as below)). ὡς ἄνにゅー, adverbially,tanquam (so already the Vulg.), as if: 2 Corinthians 10:9 (like ὥσπερ ἄνにゅー in Greek writings; cf. Kühner, 2:210 (sec. 398 Anm. 4; Jelf, § 430); Buttmann, 219 (189); (Liddell and Scott, under the word, D. III.)).

STRONGS NT 302: ἄνにゅー (2)ἄνにゅー (2), contracted from ἐάν, if; followed by the subjunctive: John 20:23 (Lachmann ἐάν. Also by the (present) indicative in 1 John 5:15 Lachmann; see Buttmann, 223 (192); Winers Grammar, 295 (277)). Further, L T Tr WH have received ἄνにゅー in John 13:20; John 16:23; (so WH John 12:32; cf. Winers Grammar, 291 (274); Buttmann, 72 (63)).

whatsoever, wheresoever, whosoever.

A primary particle, denoting a supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty -- (what-, where-, wither-, who-)soever. Usually unexpressed except by the subjunctive or potential mood. Also contracted for ean.

see GREEK ean

αあるふぁνにゅー άν ἄνにゅー ἂνにゅー εいぷしろんαあるふぁνにゅー ἐὰνにゅー κかっぱαあるふぁὶ κかっぱαあるふぁνにゅー οおみくろんὗ an án àn ean eàn hou hoû kai kaì ouInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts