πλήν
Etym. = πλέον
A. as prep. with gen., "more than", and so "except, save", Od., Hdt.; ὑπεγγύους πλὴν θανάτου liable to any punishment "save, short of", death, Hdt.; ἐπιτρέψαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν πλὴν θανάτου "save in respect" of death, Thuc.
B. as adv.:
I. with single words and phrases, when a negat. precedes, οὐκ οἶδα πλὴν ἕν Soph., etc.:—after πᾶς, πάντες, ἕκαστος, and the like, παντὶ δῆλον πλὴν ἐμοί Plat.; πᾶς is sometimes omitted, θνήσκουσι [πάντες] πλὴν εἷς τις Soph.; after ἄλλος, τί ἄλλο πλὴν ψευδῆ what else "but" lies, id=Soph.; after a comp., like ἤ, "than", ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶ κρείσσω, πλὴν ὑπ᾽ Ἀργείοις πεσεῖν Eur.
II. often joined with other Particles:
1. πλὴν εἰ, πλὴν ἐάν, Lat. nisi si, πλὴν εἴ τις κωμῳδοποιὸς τυγχάνει ὤν Plat.; πλὴν ὅταν Aesch., etc.:—the Verb is often omitted, as with ὡσεί, ὡσπερεί, οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, πλὴν εἴ τις ὄρνις Ar.
2. πλὴν ἤ, "much like" πλὴν εἰ, οὐκ ἄλλως πλὴν ἢ Προδίκῳ id=Ar.
3. πλὴν οὐ, "only not", ἀπέπεμπε κήρυκας ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα, πλὴν οὐ ἐς Ἀθήνας Hdt.; πάντες πλὴν οὐχ οἱ τύραννοι Xen.
4. πλὴν ὅτι "except that.., save that", καίτοι τί διαφέρουσιν ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνοι, πλὴν ὅτι ψηφίσματ᾽ οὐ γράφουσιν Ar.; so, πλὴν ἢ ὅτι Hdt.
5. πλὴν ὅσον "except or save so far as", id=Hdt.; πλὴν καθόσον εἰ Thuc.: —without a Verb, πάντων ἐρήμους, πλὴν ὅσον τὸ σὸν μέρος "save so far as" thou art concerned, Soph.