pronounfirst/second-declension pronoun (nominative masculine singular in -er, pronominal declension)
uter1
uter (feminine utra, neuter utrum)
Classical[ˈʊ.tɛr]Ecclesiastical[ˈuː.ter]
Meaning
- interrogativepronounwhich, who (of two)?
Em istoc pol tu otiosu's,
c. 189 BCE, Plautus, Truculentus 1.2.55–56Pompeium Carteia receptum scribis; iam igitur contra hunc exercitum. Utra ergo castra? Media enim tollit Antonius.
1999 translation by D. R. Shackleton Bailey You say that Pompey has been admitted into Carteia. So he’ll presently be bringing an army against Antony. Which camp then? For Antony is putting middle courses out of the question.68 BCE – 44 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum 15.20.3.2 - pronounrelativewhichever, whoever (of two)
Iam hic erit: nunc experiemur, nostrum uter sit blandior.
c. 180 BCE, Plautus, Casina 2.3.56Sic fortuna in contentione et certamine utrumque versavit, ut alter alteri inimicus auxilio salutique esset, neque diiudicari posset, uter utri virtute anteferendus videretur.
c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 5.44 - indefinitepronouneither (of two), one or the other
Tum Romanus sinu ex toga facto, "hic" inquit, "uobis bellum et pacem portamus; utrum placet sumite." Sub hanc uocem haud minus ferociter, daret utrum uellet, succlamatum est;[…]
27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 21.18.13
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quis ē duōbus?uter, utra, utrum — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 5
quis ē duōbusuter, utra, utrum — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 24
saccus ē coriō pro aquāuter, utris (m) — in IVLIANVS III: Persia, ch. 8, 21
vās ē pelle, quō vīnum portāturūter, ūtris (m) — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 7
vās ex pelle ad vīnumuter, utris (m) — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 4
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | in -er uter | utra | utrum |
| genitive | utrī̆us | utrī̆us | utrī̆us |
| dative | utrī | utrī | utrī |
| accusative | utrum | utram | utrum |
| ablative | utrō | utrā | utrō |
| vocative | uter | utra | utrum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | utrī | utrae | utra |
| genitive | utrōrum | utrārum | utrōrum |
| dative | utrīs | utrīs | utrīs |
| accusative | utrōs | utrās | utra |
| ablative | utrīs | utrīs | utrīs |
| vocative | utrī | utrae | utra |
ŭter, ū^tra, ū^trum (
I. gen. utrī^us; dat. utri; gen. sing., scanned utrĭus, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 15; cf. uterque; gen. and dat. fem. utrae, acc. to Charis. p. 132 P.), pron. [for cuter, in form comp. of quis; cf. Engl. who, whe - ther; cf. also Sanscr. katara, uter, and Gr. πότερος; Ionic, κότερος].
I. Interrogatively.
A. In direct questions.
1. With gen. part.; sed uter vostrorum'st celerior? Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 42:
agnūm horum uter est pinguior? id. ib. 2, 5, 1: uter nostrum popularis est? tune an ego? Cic. Rab. Perd. 4, 11: uter est insanior horum? Hor. S. 2, 3, 102: peccat uter nostrum cruce dignius? id. ib. 2, 7, 47.—3. Neutr. and with apposit.-clause: utrum est melius? virginemne an viduam uxorem ducere? Naev. ap. Non. p. 136, 7 (Com. Rel. v. 53 Rib.):
utrum igitur mavis? statimne nos vela facere, an ... paululum remigare? Cic. Tusc. 4, 4, 9; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 37, § 84.—With plur. verb: uter meruistis culpam? Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 29: uter eratis, tun' an ille, major? id. ib. 5, 9, 60.—Plur., of two parties: sed utriscum rem esse mavis? Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 51.—B. In indirect questions.
1. With gen. part.:
nostrum uter sit blandior, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 58: harum duarum condicionum utram malis vide, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 85: is vestrorum uter sit, cui signum datum est, Cette, Pac. ap. Non. p. 85, 4 (Trag. Rel. v. 62 Rib.): quod utri nostrum sanctius sit, jam pridem sentis Liv 40, 9, 7: utrius horum Verba probes et facta, doce, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 15.— 2. With ex and abl.: de praemiis quaeritur: ex duobus, uter dignior;
ex pluribus, quis dignissimus, Quint. 7, 4, 21.—3. With de and abl. (very rare):
utrum de his potius, dubitasset aliquis, quin alterum, nemo, Cic. Brut. 50, 189. 4. Absol.: omnibus cura viris uter esset induperator, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 86 Vahl.):
et tamen utrum malis scio, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 15: utro frui malis, optio sit tua, Cic. Fat. 2, 3: sortirenturve, uter comitiis ejus anni praeesset, Liv. 35, 20, 3: non tantum utrum melius, sed quid sit optimum quaeritur, Quint. 3, 8, 33: dijudicari, uter populus alteri pariturus esset, Vell. 2, 90, 3: elige, utrum facias, Ov. M. 9, 548: ignorante rege uter Orestes esset, Cic. Lael. 7, 24: considerando, utra lex ad majores res pertineat, id. Inv. 2, 49, 145: dubitare visus est Sulpicius et Cotta, utrius oratio propius ad veritatem videretur accedere, id. de Or. 1, 62, 262: ita ut oculis, in utram partem fluit (flumen), judicari non possit, Caes. B. G. 1, 12: certamen consulibus inciderat, uter dedicaret aedem, Liv. 2, 27, 5: videamus uter plus scribere possit, Hor. S. 1, 4, 16.—Plur., of two parties or sets: sed utros ejus habueris libros—duo enim sunt corpora—an utrosque, nescio, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11, 4: quaestio sequitur ex ipsis (testibus), utri meliores viri, Quint. 5, 7, 34: nec promptum est dicere, utros peccare validius putem, id. 10, 3, 12.—Neutr. with apposit. - clause: cogitare, utrum esset Agrigentinis utilius, suisne servire anne populo Romano obtemperare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 33, § 73: videte utrum sit aequius, hominem dedi inimicissimis nationibus an reddi amicis, id. Font. 18, 41 (14, 31).—5. Repeated, which of two ... the other:
ut nihil jam aliud quaerere debeatis, nisi uter utri insidias fecerit, Cic. Mil. 9, 23: ut ... neque dijudicari posset, uter utri virtute anteferendus videretur, Caes. B. G. 5, 44: scire de filiis tuis, uter ab utro petitus fraude et insidiis esset, Liv. 40, 55, 3: ambigitur uter utro sit prior, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 55: si non intellegitur, uter ab utro eversus sit, Dig. 9, 2, 45.—, 6. Strengthened by ne:
uterne Ad casus dubios fidet sibi certius, hic qui Pluribus assuerit mentem, etc., An qui contentus parvo? Hor. S. 2, 2, 107.—II. Transf.
A. Indef. rel., whichsoever of two, the one which:
utram harum vis condicionem accipe, Plaut. Cas. 2, 4, 13: convenit, victi utri sint in eo proelio ... focos, seque uti dederent, id. Am. 1, 1, 71: horum utro uti nolumus, altero est utendum, Cic. Sest. 42, 92: utrum enim horum dixeris, in eo culpa et crimen haerebit, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 45, § 106: quotiens ille tibi optionem facturus sit, ut eligas utrum velis, factum esse necne ... utrum dixeris, id contra te futurum, id. Div. in Caecil. 14, 45: utrum igitur eorum accidisset, verum oraculum fuisset, id. Div. 2, 56, 116: uter enim ... penetrarit et uter ... accesserit, is vincat necesse est, id. Part. Or. 36, 123: utrum placet, sumite ... daret, utrum vellet subclamatum est, Liv. 21, 18, 13: utri eorum dedicatio jussu populi data esset, eum praeesse annonae, id. 2, 27, 5: utrius partis melior fortuna belli esset, ad ejus societatem inclinaturos, id. 31, 32, 5: uter aedilis fueritve Vestrum praetor, is sacer esto, Hor. S. 2, 3, 180; 2, 5, 28: utro exercitu mallet ex duobus, quos, etc., Liv. 36, 1, 9: ut ipse optet, ex duobus ab lege constitutis suppliciis utrum velit pendere, Sen. Contr. 7, 23, 6.—B. Indef., either of the two, one or the other, one of two: uti tu ad Laelium Luciumve consulem sive quem ad uter eorum jusserit proferes, Vet. Form. ap. Gell. 16, 4, 2:
omnium controversiarum, quae essent inter aratorem et decumanum, si uter velit, edicit se recuperatores daturum, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 14, § 35: quid? si una tabula sit, duo naufragi aeque sapientes; sibine uter rapiat, an alter cedat alteri? id. Off. 2, 23, 90: si cum utro eorum actum est, cum altero agi non potest, Dig. 9, 2, 45, § 3. —* C. Whichsoever of more than two:
quorum utrum ei acciderit, Vitr. 7 praef.— Hence, adv.: ū^trō, to which of two places, to which side or part: nescit utro potius ruat et ruere ardet utroque, Ov. M. 5, 166; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 179; v. also utrum.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
uter utra, utrum, gen. utrīus (rarely utrius, H.), dat. utrī, pron.
for * quoter or * cuter; CA-.
I. I. Interrogative, which of two, which, whether : uter nostrum popularis est? tune an ego?: uter est insanior horum, H.: utra igitur causa popularis debet videri?: ab utro (insidiae) factae sint, incertum est: quod utri nostrum sanctius sit, iam pridem sentis, L.: utrius horum Verba probes et facta, doce, H.: Elige, utrum facias, O.: ita ut oculis, in utram partem fluat (flumen), iudicari non possit, Cs.—Plur., of two collections or sets: sed utros eius habueris libros—duo enim sunt corpora—an utrosque, nescio: utrum de his potius, dubitasset aliquis, quin alterum, nemo.—Repeated, which of two . . . the other : ut nihil iam aliud quaerere debeatis, nisi uter utri insidias fecerit: scire de filiis tuis, uter ab utro petitus fraude et insidiis esset, L.: Ambigitur uter utro sit prior, H.—Strengthened by ne : uterne Ad casūs dubios fidet sibi certius, hic qui . . . An qui, etc., H.—
II. II. Indefinite, whichsoever of the two, whichever one, the one which : herum utro uti nolumus, altero est utendum, i. e. if either of these does not suit us, we must appeal to the other : utrum enim horum dixeris, in eo culpa et crimen haerebit: utri eorum dedicatio iussu populi data esset, eum praeesse annonae, L.: uter aedilis fueritve Vestrum praetor, is sacer esto, H.— Either of the two, one or the other, one : omnium controversiarum, quae essent inter aratorem et decumanum, si uter velit, edicit se recuperatores daturum.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*kʷ-
- Proto-Indo-European*kʷos
- Proto-Indo-European*kʷóteros
- Proto-Italic*kʷoteros
- Latinuter
Inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷoteros. Cognate with Ancient Greek πότερος (póteros, “which of the two”) and English whether.
In English words that came into English from uter
- neuterneuter
- neutralneutrālis
- utraquismuterque
- neutroisneuter
- utrubiutrubi