This enclitic particle, appearing as πω in Attic Greek and κω in Ionic, means 'yet' or 'up to this time' and almost always appears with negatives in early Greek. The combination οὔπω means 'not yet,' while μήπω means 'not yet' in prohibitions. In questions, it could mean 'ever at all,' as when asking whether any city had ever attempted something. The particle helped Greek speakers mark temporal boundaries, indicating that something had not occurred up to the present moment but might still happen. Its narrow scope made it particularly useful in philosophical and historical precision.