ΜΕΝ solitarium in non-literary papyri: A reconsideration

Abstract

Previous scholarship has observed that the occurrence of μέν without a corresponding δέ (so-called μέν solitarium) is not an uncommon phenomenon in Post-classical Greek, including non-literary papyri. It has been suggested that such instances are best captured by considering them "elliptically antithetical" ("prospective"). In this contribution, I show that when it comes to the papyri, μέν can be found in other contexts, too. I explain the relatively frequent appearance of μέν solitarium by relating it to the semantic and syntactic extension of the μέν ... δέ construction in the Post-classical period. I conclude by drawing attention to the importance of taking into account social context when describing such a grammatical feature.