In ancient Greek grammar, movable nu, movable N or ephelcystic nu ( , literally "dragged-in nu") is a letter nu (written ; the Greek equivalent of the letter n) placed on the end of some grammatical forms in Attic or Ionic Greek. It is used to avoid two vowels in a row (hiatus) and to create a long syllable in poetic meter as a form of epenthesis.
Grammatical forms Movable nu may appear at the end of certain forms of verbs, nouns, and adjectives. In grammatical paradigms, it is usually written with a parenthesis to indicate that it is optional.
third person plural present and future λέγουσι(ν) "they say" present τιθέασι(ν) "they place" λέξουσι(ν) "they will say" future third person singular perfect and past τέθνηκε(ν) "he has died", "is dead" perfect ἔλεγε(ν) "he was saying" imperfect εἶπε(ν) "he said" aorist ἐτεθνήκει(ν) "he had died", "was dead" pluperfect third person singular present(athematic verbs) τίθησι(ν) "he places" ἐστί(ν) "it is" dative plural Ἕλλησι(ν) "to Greeks" πᾶσι(ν) "to all" ἀνθρώποισι(ν) "to men" Epic and Ionic κούρῃσι(ν) "to girls" Epic and Ionic
Usage Movable nu is used before words starting in a vowel to prevent hiatus.
πᾶσιν ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνα "he said those things to everyone"
It is often omitted before consonants, but may be included there to produce a heavy syllable where the poetic meter requires one
πᾶσι λέγουσι ταῦτα "they say these things to everyone" πᾶσι λέγουσιν ταῦτα "they say these things to everyone" with the dactylic pattern – ⏑ ⏑ | – – | – ×
It is often used at the end of clauses or verses.
See also Nu (letter) Ancient Greek Attic Greek Ionic Greek Distinction between a and an, a similar rule in English , a similar rule in German dialects
Sources Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar, par. 134.