Plato › Greek Lexicon › πότερος

πότερος

poteros

whether of the two?

Appears 570 times across Plato's dialogues.

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Dictionary (LSJ)

πότερος, α, ον; Ion. κότερος, η, ον: A. whether of the two? both in direct and indirect questions; once in Hom., οὐκ ἂν γνοίης ποτέροισι μετείη Il. 5.85; κότερα τούτων αἱρετώτερά ἐστι . .; Hdt. 3.52, cf. 1.126; πότερα τύχης καὶ πότερα γνώμης ἔργα κρίνεις; X. Mem. 1.4.4; σκόπει πρὸς ποτέρους διαλέγῃ Pl. R. 528a, etc.: sts. the two objects referred to follow in apposition, ἐρωτώσης τῆς μητρός, π. καλλίων . . δοκεῖ εἶναι, ὁ πατὴρ ἢ οὗτος X. Cyr. 1.3.2, cf. Mem. 1.6.9; πότερος . . , ὁ ἰατρὸς ἢ ὁ ὀψοποιός; Pl. Grg. 464d, cf. 498a, etc.; modified by τις, Id. Lg. 715a, etc.; repeated in the same sentence, πότερος ποτερου φίλος γίγνεται; Id. Ly. 212a. II. neut. πότερον and πότερα (interchangeable, πότερον δέδρακεν ἢ οὔ, καὶ πότερʼ ἄκων ἢ ἑκών; D. 23.79, cf. X. Mem. 3.6.16), as Adv. at the beginning of an interrog. sentence containing two alternative propositions, the second being connected by ἤ . . , whether . . or, a. in direct questions, Pi. P. 11.22, Fr. 213, B. 17.33, Hdt. 1.88, etc.; τίνες κατῆρξαν, πότερον Ἕλληνες ἢ παῖς ἐμός; A. Pers. 351, etc.; πότερα δικαστὴν ἢ δικηφόρον λέγεις; Id. Ch. 120, cf. Supp. 336. b. in indirect questions, ἐπείρεσθαι κότερα τὴν ἑωυτοῦ ἢ τὴν Κύρου λέγοι ἀρχήν Hdt. 1.91, cf. 3.32, etc.: the Verb is sts. repeated, π. οὐδενὶ δύναται ἀρέσαι, ἢ ἔστιν οἷς καὶ πάνυ ἀρέσκει; X. Mem. 2.3.6: sts. π. precedes the common Verb, π. βούλοιτο μένειν ἢ ἀπιέναι; Id. Cyr. 1.3.15, cf. Oec. 18.1. 2. sts. a third clause (with ἤ) is inaccurately added, κότερα παρὰ δήμου ἢ ὀλιγαρχίης ἢ μουνάρχου; Hdt. 3.82, cf. A. Supp. 247, S. OT 112; and a fourth, Id. El. 539. 3. the second alternative is sts. left to be supplied, πότερα δὴ κερτομῶν λέγεις τάδε (sc. ἢ μή . . ); Id. Ph. 1235, cf. OC 333, A. Pers. 239, Th. 94 (lyr.), Ag. 274, Pl. Sph. 228a, R. 501d, etc. 4. πότερον is sts. omitted in the first clause, ἐπισκέψασθαι . . , ὀρθὴ ἢ ψευδής Id. Tht. 161d, cf. Lg. 670b. 5. in affirmative sentences, π . . ἤ, either . . or, Corn. ND 14, al.; so π . . . ἤ . . ἤ ib.27. III. indef., one of other, either of the two, τί οὐ λέγει π. ὑμῶν; Pl. La. 181d; τούτων ποτέροις ἐπακολουθῆσαι Id. Chrm. 171b, cf. R. 499c, Phlb. 20e, Tht. 145b, etc.; ἅτεροι πότεροι, = ὁποτεροιοῦν, SIG 421.31 (Thermon, iii B. C.): for ὁπότερος, ἐξέστω αὐτῷ πότερον ἂν βούληται, ἤ . . ἤ . . Abh.Berl.Akad. 1925(5).7 (Cyrene, iii B. C.): in this sense Phot. would make it oxyt. ποτερός, ά, όν. IV. Adv. ποτέρως, v. sub voc. (I.-E. qṷo-tero-s, cf. Skt. katarás, Goth. hwapar ‘which of two?ʼ)
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