haud sciō an
Meaning
- idiomaticintransitiveI do not know whether…(such and such is true), perhaps…(such and such is true)
Quod haud sciō an dē ambitū et dē crīminibus istīs sodālium ac sequestrium, quoniam hūc incidī, similiter respondendum putem.
And I do not know whether I need think it equally necessary to make a reply to the charges of corruption, and to the accusations about clubs and agents (since I have lighted on these topics.)56 BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, translated by Charles Duke Yonge, Pro Marco Caelio, section 16:
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.)