adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)
alteruter1
alteruter (feminine alterutra, neuter alterutrum)
Classical[aɫˈtɛ.rʊ.tɛr]Ecclesiastical[alˈtɛː.ru.ter]
Meaning
- adjectiveone of two, one or the other; either
- adjectiverare= uterque, both
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | in -er alteruter | alterutra | alterutrum |
| genitive | alterutrī | alterutrae | alterutrī |
| dative | alterutrō | alterutrae | alterutrō |
| accusative | alterutrum | alterutram | alterutrum |
| ablative | alterutrō | alterutrā | alterutrō |
| vocative | alteruter | alterutra | alterutrum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | alterutrī | alterutrae | alterutra |
| genitive | alterutrōrum | alterutrārum | alterutrōrum |
| dative | alterutrīs | alterutrīs | alterutrīs |
| accusative | alterutrōs | alterutrās | alterutra |
| ablative | alterutrīs | alterutrīs | alterutrīs |
| vocative | alterutrī | alterutrae | alterutra |
altĕr-ŭter, altĕrū^tra (more freq. than altera utra), altĕrū^trum (more freq. than alterum utrum), adj. (in the
I. obliq. cas. arch. alterutrius, alterutri, etc.; cf. Prisc. p. 667; 693 P.; gen. and dat. f. alterutrae, Charis. p. 132 ib.).
I. One of two, the one or the other, either, no matter which (rare but class.): AD. ALTERVTRVM. SIBI. REDD(iderunt), Carm. Fr. Arv. 28:
video esse necesse alterutrum, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 18: si in alterutro peccandum sit, malo viderinimis timidusquam parum prudens, id. Marcell. 7; so id. Fam. 6, 3; 9, 6; id. Att. 10, 1; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8 fin.: Alterutrum velox victoria fronde coronet, * Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 64; Nep. Dion, 4, 1.—With both parts declined (prob. only in the two foll. exs.): alteriusutrius causā, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 693 P.: longitudo alteriusutrius, Cic. Prot. Fragm. ib.—II. = uterque, both: necessarium fuit alterutrum foris et sub dio esse, Col. praef. 12.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
alter-uter utra, utrum, gen. alterutrīus (rarely separate, altera utra, etc.), pronom. adj.,
one or the other, either this or that, one of two: necesse erat alterutrum esse hostem: ut si in alterutro peccandum sit, malim, etc.: ne alteruter alterum praeoccuparet, N.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos Proto-Italic *aljos Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *aliteros Latin alter Latin uter Latin alteruter From alter + uter.