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Homer uses this as having the status of a syllable. Sometimes however he uses ναί instead of μά , as in "yea by this scepter," when [someone] swears.[1] But when [someone] makes a denial on oath, he adds the [particle] of negation, as "no by Apollo."[2] And in Odyssey: "no by Zeus, Agelaos ..."[3] But we take μά as a part of speech when we say "by Zeus." It is also a precatory adverb.

Μά: τοῦτο Ὅμηρος ὡς συλλαβῆς τάξιν ἔχον τίθησι. ποτὲ μέντοι ἀντὶ τοῦ μὰ τῷ ναὶ χρῆται: ὡς, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον: ὅτε ὄμνυσιν. ὅτε δὲ ἀπόμνυσί τι, συζεύγνυσι τὸ τῆς ἀποφάσεως: οἷον, οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα. καὶ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ: οὐ μὰ Ζῆν', Ἀγέλαε. ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸ μὰ ὡς μέρος λόγου ἀπομνύντες παραλαμβάνομεν μὰ τὸν Δία λέγοντες. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπίρρημα ἐπευκτικόν.

Same entry in Photius; similar ones elsewhere.
The difference between μά and ναί seems to be that μά is used without a definite article in the epic -- not surprisingly considering that the definite article was not yet fully developed. Μά is usually used in negative sentences, except when ναί is added. The accusative with these particles was originally the object of a verb of swearing; but later the particle came to be felt as a preposition governing the accusative (which may be what the lexicographer means by calling it a "part of speech"). See Smyth section 2894 (web address 4) and 1596.
cf. mu 12, mu 31, nu 96, nu 97, nu 98, nu 350.
[1] Homer, Iliad 1.234 (web address 1).
[2] Homer, Iliad 1.86 (web address 2).
[3] Homer, Odyssey 20.339 (web address 3).

David Whitehead (more x-refs; cosmetics) on 30 November 2003@05:01:37.
Catharine Roth (augmented note, added link) on 3 December 2003@00:41:11.
David Whitehead (augmented notes; tweaks; raised status) on 17 June 2011@05:06:58.
Catharine Roth (upgraded links) on 18 June 2011@01:38:38.

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