alteruter Latin · revision 9828

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Cato|origins=la alter, la uter}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [aɫˈtɛ.rʊ.tɛr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [alˈtɛː.ru.ter]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''alteruter''' (feminine alterutra, neuter alterutrum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)^(Wiktionary)

+ Also written ''alter uter'', and Livy has ''alterautra''.^(OLD 2012) The forms ''alterūtra'' and ''alterūtrum'' are commoner than ''altera utra'' and ''alterum utrum''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound of [[alter]] “the other (of two)” and [[uter]] “which of two”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan traces ⟨uter⟩ to [[itc-pro|*kʷotero-]], from [[ine-pro|*kʷo-tero-|t=which of two]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Among the OLD's earliest citations are Cato, Lucretius and Varro.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant one or the other of two, either, as an adjective and as a pronoun, as in Varro and Cicero.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant one of two, either, and ''ad alterutrum'' one to another.^(Stelten 1995) British Medieval Latin used it for one or the other, inclusive and exclusive.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # One or the other of two, [[m|en|either]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # One or other of two persons or things.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' ''ad alterutrum'', one to another.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[alter]]

+ * [[uter]]

+ * [[uterque]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}