πότερος

English (LSJ)

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 πότερ' 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.OT112; 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. OC333, 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.ND14, 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, SIG421.31 (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, o/n.    IV Adv. ποτέρως, v. sub voc. (I.-E. q[uglide]o-tero-s, cf. Skt. katarás, Goth. hwapar 'which of two?')