forsan
Meaning
- not comparableperhaps, perchance, maybe
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Casu · Forte · Fortuito · Fortasse · Forsitan · Haud scio an
Casu, forte, and fortuito, denote a casualty, and indeed, casu, in opp. to consulto, συμβεβηκότως; forte, without particular stress on the casualty, τυχόν; fortuito, fortuitu, emphatically, by mere chance, in opp. to causa, ἀπὸ τύχης; whereas fortasse, forsitan, and haud scio an, denote possibility, and indeed fortasse, fortassis, with an emphatic perception and affirmation of the possibility, as approaching to probability, and are in construction with the indicative, ἴσως; forsitan, forsan, with merely an occasional perception of the possibility, and are in construction with a conjunctive, τάχ’ ἄν; haud scio an, with a modest denial of one’s own certainty; consequently, haud scio an is an euphemistic limitation of the assertion. Fortasse verum est, and forsitan verum sit, mean, perhaps it is true, perhaps not; but haud scio an verum sit means, I think it true, but I will not affirm it as certain. (v. 294.)
me miseram, forsan hic mihi parvam habeat fidem, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 117; Lucr. 6, 729: forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit, Verg. A. 1, 203; forsan miseros meliora sequentur, id. ib. 12, 153: huic uni forsan potui succumbere culpae, id. ib. 4, 19: et mihi forsan tibi quod negarit, Porriget hora, Hor. C. 2, 16, 31: pernicies Tibi paratur, forsan et miserae mihi, Phaedr. 2, 4, 7: transierant binae forsan trinaeve Calendae, Mart. 10, 75, 7: quem decreto sermonem praetenderit, forsan aliquem verum auctores antiqui tradiderint, Liv. 3, 47, 5; 10, 39, 14: occurrat mihi forsan aliquis, Quint. 1, 5, 6; 12, 1, 31; Col. 3, 9, 1: et tu forsan audire nolis, Curt. 3, 2 (dub. v. Zumpt ad Curt. 3, 5, 11).—In law Lat., as for example, for instance, Dig. 48, 5, 34, § 1.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
Ellipsis of fors (“chance”) + sit (“to be”, subjunctive) + an (“whether”).