I am vague with a sample sentence for diaphero^ used with infinitive.
diaphero^ : in LSJ for its meaning “to differ”
(a sample used with infinitive)
mone^i te^i morphe^i me^ ouchi probata einai d.
my translation (they differed not to be sheep = they did not seem not to be sheep = they seemed to be sheep)
*In this sample for diaphero^ + inf., I felt the <me^ ou> was the key. So I consulted Smyth for <me^ ou>.*
me^ ou :
/
(Smyth 1631, explaining about the infinitive with <me^ ou>) When a verb of denying, refusing, etc. is itself negatived, either directly or by appearing in a question expecting a negative answer, the infinitive generally has <me^ ou>. Here both the introductory clause and the dependent clause virtually have an affirmative sense.
— oudeis po^pot’ anteipen me^ ou kalo^s echein tous nomous (no one ever denied that the laws were excellent)
/
(Smyth 1633, explaining about <me^ ou> with the infinitive) Any infinitive that would take <me^ > may take <me^ ou> (with a negative force), if dependent on a negatived verb. Here is the sympathetic negative and is untranslatable. This use is often found with verbs and other expressions formed by (or a-privative) with a positive word and meaning “impossible”, “difficult”, “wrong”, and the like.
— ouk an pithoime^n me^ ou tad’ ekmathein (I cannot consent not to learn this)
— ho^ste pa^sin aischune^n einai me^ ou suspoudazein (so that all were ashamed <i.e. felt it was not right) not to cooperate zealously)
/
(Smyth 1634., after the explanation of <me^ ou> from 1633.) Instead of <me^ ou> we find also <me^ > (rarely)
— elegon oti ou dune^sointo me^ peithesthai tois Thebaiois (they said that they could not help submitting to the Thebans)
— (an example of the form <to me^ > ) ephe^ ouch hoion t’ einai to me^ apokteinai me (he said it was not possible to condemn me to death)
---- (an example of the form <tou me^ > ) he^ aporia tou me^ he^suchazein (the inability to rest) …( think it is "inability not to rest)
By the samples in bold type I guessed “diaphero^” might be translated as “not be” or “not seem”.
Then, I want to translate this passage. (Aristotle DE ANIMA)
τὰ δὲ πρῶτα νοήματα τί διοίσει τοῦ μὴ φαντάσματα εἶναι;
my translation : “Why don’t the elementary objects of the mind seem not to be phantoms ?” ot “Surely the elementary objects of the mind seem to be phantoms.”