• functions
• 1. concentration, focus, emphasize, highlight
• 2. limit, restrict:
  
• sometimes with conceivable extension
• sometimes it restricts to one thing, in contrast to another
• 3. intensifies adverbs or adjectives

• I. emphatic, determinative, intensive
• 1. General use
• i. with no other particle
  
• 
  
• ii. after connecting particles
• καί γε treated elsewhere
• δέ γε treated elsewhere
• ἤ, ἤτοι ... γε
• ἀλλά ... γε
• ἀτάρ ... γε
• ἀλλὰ μήν ... γε
• καὶ μήν ... γε
• καίτοι ... γε
• ἀλλὰ μὲν δή ... γε
• ἄρα ... γε
• Particular uses
• 2. with adjectives and adverbs of number, size, intensity: δή is far more frequent: many examples can also be grouped under other headings
• 3. with negated ἄλλος "nothing else" or "What else?" implying 'nothing'
• also in set phrases, all of which have ἄλλο γε
• or with the alternative to ἄλλος
• 4. with pronouns, where it can be emphatic or limitative or even otiose
• 5. with relatives (δή is more common): limitative γε w/pronouns is at II.2
• ὥσπερ γε 'precisely as'
  
• 6. after interrogatives (δή much more common)
• 7. in commands sharpening tone of imperative: both positive and negative
• 8. in conditional protasis 'even if'
• not the same as limitative εἴ γε 'if, but not unless'
• 9. apodotic (δή more common): not just cond'l apodoses
• 10. Exclamatory
• i. adjectives commonly w/ellipse of ἐστι
• ii. adverbs commonly w/ellipse of verb
• iii. verbs
• iv. nouns
• sometimes sarcastic, particularly with καλός, καλῶς
• word stressed by γε preceded
• a. sometimes by oath or exclamations, sometimes w/vocative
• but sometimes γε attaches to the oath/exclamation
• b. by a vocative alone
• c. by repetition of previous words, with an attitude (shock. contempt, surprise)
• sometimes in the middle of a speech
• sometimes even in reported speech
• sometimes in indignant questions
• 11. in answers it adds intensity, but could at times be translated as 'yes' or 'no'
• difficult to distinguish from limitative
• i. affirmative answer to question or statement, or command
• ii. negative answers
• after rhetorical questions
• iii. affirmative answers contradicting a denial
• sometimes both intensifying the answer and limiting
• iv. in answer to question that is not a yes-or-no question
• v. adding something to implied affirmative answer
• in Plato, found rarely, but mostly with πάνυ γε or σφόδρα γε vel sim.
• adding degree only
• often γε is both emphatic of the affirmative and limitative
• vi. adding detail to an assent already expressed
• sometimes with an echoed word
• vii. participle with γε: with actual answer elided
• viii. in drama (only?): speech of one character completed by another either by interruption or carrying on
• ix. the first speaker, after an answer, picks up and amplifies previous statement
• 12. epexegetic: same as adding a detail in answers, but not in an answer?
• i. a substantive or pronoun in apposition
• ii. a participial clause
• iii, a relative clause
• iv. a repeated word
• v. an adverb or adverbial phrase
• vi. a consecutive or final clause
• II. Limitative
• classification is approximate and folks will disagree as to whether an instance belongs in I or II!
• 1. general
• i. alternatives are not excluded
• ii. alternatives are excluded
• 2. in subordinate clauses
• i. with relative pronouns
• ii. with conditional and causal conjunctions
• 3. ὡς ... γε figure this out if you find any likely candidates.
• 4. in participial clauses
• 5. a fortiori, negative this is a fortiori kinda loosely conceived: "still less"
• 6. double/repeated in close proximity γε WHY HERE?
• III Quasi-connective
• 1. where we expect γάρ or γοῦν
• 2. ἔπειτά γε