“either, or” in Latin

aut - aut: vel - vel: sive (seu) - sive (seu). Obs. (1) Aut is objective, and refers to a real difference in the things or notions themselves: vel is subjective, and relates to a difference between them as contemplated by the mind of the person who is speaking or acting about them; aut - aut, therefore, should be used when things are strongly opposed in their own nature, aut dives aut pauper; aut frigus aut calor; aut Cic., aut Pompeius, etc. Aut - aut should also be used in the sense of either, or at least [aut in omni, aut in magna parte vitae, Cic., Tusc., 3, 17, 28]. Aut - aut may stand in interrogative and comparative sentences, and may follow negatives. (2) Vel - vel. In aut - aut the members necessarily exclude each other; in vel - vel they only exclude each other arbitrarily, according to the view of the speaker, and it is not implied that they might not possibly coexist. Vel - vel sometimes approaches to the meaning of sive - sive; i. e., the speaker conceives the things as different indeed, but not essentially, so that it is immaterial which is taken: pace vel Quirini vel Romuli dixerim. The second vel may be strengthened by etiam, vero etiam, or omnino. (3) Sive - sive is the “either - or” of indifference, the speaker leaving it undecided, from ignorance or any other motive, which name, supposition, etc., is the correct one; e.g., sive casu, sive consilio: sive felicitate quadam, sive bonitate naturae, etc. In the best prose, especially in Cic., sive - sive is used; with the exception, however, of Caes., who has often seu - seu. In post-Augustan writers, we have also sive - seu, or seu - sive. The second sive may be strengthened by etiam. (4) After negatives, the usual way of translating “either - or” is by (neque) - neque; e.g., nemo unquam neque poeta neque orator fuit; nihil loci est neque segnitiae neque socordiae [Vid: end of Obs. 1, on aut]. Not either - or, neque (nec) - neque (nec). Either - or even, aut - aut etiam, aut - aut vero (the second being the stronger supposition): vel - vel etiam; vel etiam vero; vel omnino. ☞ The aut or vel may be repeated three or more times. The first aut may also be omitted, just as in English; we must (either) conquer or die, hic (aut) vincendum, aut moriendum milites.