an Latin · revision 17743

18 Oct 2026, 18:36 by bogdan “Latin la10k: at, an, pro, autem, sine, nihil, modo, quia, quidam, apud”
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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=inherited|attested=c. 280–200 BC, Livius Andronicus|origins=itc-pro *an}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈan]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈan]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''an''' ^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*an]], perhaps from [[ine-pro|*h₂en|t=there, on the other side]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan compares [[got|𐌰𐌽|tr=an|t=so? now?]], [[lt|angu|t=or]] and Old Prussian [[m|prg|anga-anga|t=whether]]; the link with the Greek particle [[grc|ἄν|tr=án]], which the OLD gives, is less certain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short call the origin very obscure, and the TLL suggests a contraction of ⟨*atne⟩.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ It is found from Livius Andronicus on: ''inferus an superus tibī fert deus fūnera, Ulixēs?'' “is it a god below or above who brings you death, Ulysses?”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ ''An'' introduces the second part of a double question (“or”), with or without ''utrum'' or ''-ne'' in the first; alone it opens a question with surprise or indignation (“can it really be that …?”), or offers a suggested answer.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) In indirect questions it means “whether” (''an nōn'' “or not”), and ''haud sciō an'' or ''nesciō an'' means “I rather think, probably”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+ 
+ From the Augustan period it can stand for ''sīve''; in Medieval Latin it was a plain synonym of ''aut'' and ''vel''.^(Wiktionary)^(Niermeyer 1976)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 280–200 BC – Livius Andronicus: ''inferus an superus …?''^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''vīvam an moriar'', “whether I live or die”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''paucīs ante quam mortuus est diēbus an mēnsibus'', “a few days or months before his death”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 550–1150 – Medieval Latin uses it as a synonym of ''aut''.^(Niermeyer 1976)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Conjunction===
+ # [[m|en|or]] (in the second part of a double question).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(opening a question)'' Can it be that …? Or is it that …?^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(in indirect questions)'' [[m|en|whether]];^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''an nōn'', or not.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''haud sciō an'', ''nesciō an'', I rather think, probably.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Or, or perhaps (introducing an alternative).^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Or (= ''aut'', ''vel'').^(Niermeyer 1976)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[anne]]
+ * [[annōn]]
+ * [[forsan]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[utrum]]
+ * [[num]]
+ * [[-ne]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}