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ambi- (ambe-, Varr. L. L. 7, § 30 Müll.); abbrev. amb-, am-, an-.

  1. I. Insepar. prep. [Osc. amfr-; Umbr. am-, an-, ampr-; Gr. ἀμφί; old Sax. umbi; old Germ. umpi; mod. Germ. um = around; Sanscr. abhi = around], around, round about; used only in composition; before vowels usually amb-: ambages, ambedo, ambigo, ambio, amburo; but amicio (for amjicio); once also amp-: ampulla; before consonants, ambi-: ambidens, ambifariam, ambivium; am-: amplector, amputo, amsegetes, amtermini; or amp-: ampsanctus; but before c, q, h, f, t, an-: anceps, ancisus, anquiro, anhelo (q. v.), anhelus, anfractus, etc.
  2. II. Also am, an, arch. prep., round, around: am fines, am segetes, Charis. 2, p. 205 P.: an terminum, Cato, Orig. ap. Macr. 1, 14, 5; cf. Schneid. Gr. I. p. 535 sq.; Kühner, Ausf. Gr. § 210, 8; Hand, Turs. I. pp. 284 sq.

1. ăn, conj. [etym. very obscure; v. the various views adduced in Hand, I. p. 296, with which he seems dissatisfied; if it is connected with the Sanscr. anjas, = Germ. ander, = Engl. other, we may comp. the Engl. other and or with the Germ. oder, = or]. It introduces the second part of a disjunctive interrogation, or a phrase implying doubt, and thus unites in itself the signif. of aut and num or -ne, or, or whether (hence the clause with an is entirely parallel with that introduced by num, utrum, -ne, etc., while aut forms only a subdivision in the single disjunctive clause; utrum … aut—an … aut, whether … or, etc.; cf. Ochsn. Eclog. p. 150; v. also aut).

  1. I. In disjunctive interrogations.
    1. A. Direct.
        1. a. Introd. by utrum (in Engl. the introd. particle whether is now obsolete, and the interrogation is denoted simply by the order of the words): Utrum hac me feriam an ab laevā latus? Plaut. Cist. 3, 10: sed utrum tu amicis hodie an inimicis tuis Daturu’s cenam? id. Ps. 3, 2, 88; id. Pers. 3, 1, 13; id. Trin. 1, 2, 138; id. Cas. 2, 4, 11: Utrum sit annon voltis? id. Am. prol. 56: quid facies? Utrum hoc tantum crimen praetermittes an obicies? Cic. Div. in Caecil. 30 sq.: in plebem vero Romanam utrum superbiam prius commemorem an crudelitatem? id. Verr. 1, 122; id. Deiot. 23; id. Fam. 7, 13: Utrum enim defenditis an impugnatis plebem? Liv. 5, 3.
          And with an twice: Utrum hoc signum cupiditatis tuae an tropaeum necessitudinis atque hospitii an amoris indicium esse voluisti? Cic. Verr. 2, 115; id. Imp. Pomp. 57 sq.; id. Rab. 21.
          With an three times: Utrum res ab initio ita ducta est, an ad extremum ita perducta, an ita parva est pecunia, an is (homo) Verres, ut haec quae dixi, gratis facta esse videantur? Cic. Verr. 2, 61; 3, 83; id. Clu. 183; Liv. 21, 10; and seven times in Cic. Dom. 56-58.
          With -ne pleon. (not to be confounded with cases where utrum precedes as pron.; as Cic. Tusc. 4, 4, 9): sed utrum tu masne an femina es, qui illum patrem voces? Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 16; id. Bacch. 1, 1, 42; id. Stich. 5, 4, 26: Utrum studione id sibi habet an laudi putat Fore, si etc., Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 28: Utrum igitur tandem perspicuisne dubia aperiuntur an dubiis perspicua tolluntur? Cic. Fin. 4, 24, 67.
          And affixed to utrum, but rarely: Utrumne jussi persequemur otium … an hunc laborem etc., Hor. Epod. 1, 7; Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 4; Quint. 12, 1, 40.
        2. b. Introduced by -ne: quid fit? seditio tabetne an numeros augificat suos? Enn. Trag. Rel. p. 23 Rib.: servos esne an liber? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 186: idne agebas, ut tibi cum sceleratis an ut cum bonis civibus conveniret? Cic. Lig. 18; 23: custosne urbis an direptor et vexator esset Antonius? id. Phil. 3, 27; id. Mur. 88; id. Sull. 22.
          So with an twice, Cic. Cat. 1, 28; id. Att. 16, 8; and five times, id. Balb. 9.
        3. c. Introduced by nonne: Nonne ad servos videtis rem publicam venturam fuisse? An mihi ipsi fuit mors aequo animo oppetenda? Cic. Sest. 47; id. Sex. Rosc. 43 sq.; id. Dom. 26; 127.
          So with an twice, Cic. Phil. 11, 36.
        4. d. Introduced by num: si quis invidiae metus, num est vehementius severitatis invidia quam inertiae pertimescenda? Cic. Cat. 1, 29; id. Mur. 76; id. Sest. 80: Num quid duas habetis patrias an est illa patria communis? id. Leg. 2, 2.
        5. e. Without introductory particle: quid igitur? haec vera an falsa sunt? Cic. Ac. 2, 29, 95: quid enim exspectas? bellum an tabulas novas? id. Cat. 2, 18: ipse percussit an aliis occidendum dedit? id. Sex. Rosc. 74; id. Verr. 2, 106; id. Imp. Pomp. 53; id. Phil. 2, 27: eloquar an sileam? Verg. A. 3, 37: auditis an me ludit amabilis Insania? Hor. C. 3, 4, 5.
          So an twice, Cic. Mil. 54; three times, Plin. Ep. 2, 8; and six times, Cic. Rab. 14; id. Pis. 40.
    2. B. Indirect.
        1. a. Introduced by utrum: quid tu, malum, curas, Utrum crudum an coctum edim? Plaut. Aul. 3, 2, 16; id. Cist. 4, 2, 11; id. Bacch. 3, 4, 1; id. Mil. 2, 3, 74: quaero, si quis … utrum is clemens an inhumanissimus esse videatur, Cic. Cat. 4, 12: agitur, utrum M. Antonio facultas detur an horum ei facere nihil liceat, id. Phil. 5, 6; id. Sex. Rosc. 72; id. Imp. Pomp. 42; id. Verr. 1, 105.
          Note: So once only in Vulg. aut for an: Loquimini de me utrum bovem cujusquam tulerim aut asinum, 1 Reg. 12, 3.
          And with -ne pleon.: res in discrimine versatur, utrum possitne se contra luxuriem parsimonia defendere an deformata cupiditati addicatur, Cic. Quinct. 92: numquamne intelleges statuendum tibi esse, utrum illi, qui istam rem gesserunt, homicidaene sint an vindices libertatis? id. Phil. 2, 30.
        2. b. Introduced by -ne: Fortunāne an forte repertus, Att. Trag. Rel. p. 159 Rib. agitur autem liberine vivamus an mortem obeamus, Cic. Phil. 11, 24; id. Verr. 4, 73; id. Mil. 16: nunc vero non id agitur, bonisne an malis moribus vivamus etc., Sall. C. 52, 10.
          So with an three times, Cic. Or. 61.
        3. c. Introduced by an: haud scio an malim te videri … an amicos tuos plus habuisse, Cic. Pis. 39.
        4. d. Without introd. particle: … vivam an moriar, nulla in me est metus, Enn. Trag. Rel. p. 72 Rib.: vivat an mortuus sit, quis aut scit aut curat? Cic. Phil. 13, 33; 3, 18; id. Sex. Rosc. 88; id. Red. in Sen. 14.
    3. C. Sometimes the opinion of the speaker or the probability inclines to the second interrogative clause (cf. infra, II. E.). and this is made emphatic, as a corrective of the former, or rather, or on the contrary: ea quae dixi ad corpusne refers? an est aliquid, quod te suā sponte delectet? Cic. Fin. 2, 33, 107: Cur sic agere voluistis? An ignoratis quod etc., Vulg. Gen. 44, 15.
      Hence, in the comic poets, an potius: cum animo depugnat suo, Utrum itane esse mavelit ut … An ita potius ut etc., Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 31: id. Stich. 1, 2, 18; id. Trin. 2, 2, 25: an id flagitium est, An potius hoc patri aequomst fieri, ut a me ludatur dolis? Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 94.
    4. D. The first part of the interrogation is freq. not expressed, but is to be supplied from the context; in this case, an begins the interrog., or, or rather, or indeed, or perhaps (but it does not begin an absolute, i. e. not disjunctive, interrog.): De. Credam ego istuc, si esse te hilarem videro. Ar. An tu esse me tristem putas? (where nonne me hilarem esse vides? is implied), Plaut. As. 5, 1, 10: Ch. Sed Thaïs multon ante venit? Py. An abiit jam a milite? Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 7: An ego Ulixem obliscar umquam? Att. Trag. Rel. p. 199 Rib.: An parum vobis est quod peccatis? Vulg. Josh. 22, 17: est igitur aliquid, quod perturbata mens melius possit facere quam constans? an quisquam potest sine perturbatione mentis irasci? Cic. Tusc. 4, 24, 54; cf. id. Clu. 22; id. Off. 3, 29: Debes hoc etiam rescribere, sit tibi curae Quantae conveniat Munatius; an male sarta Gratia nequiquam coit … ? or is perhaps, etc., Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 31 K. and H.
      So esp. in Cic., in order to make the truth of an assertion more certain, by an argumentum a minore ad majus: cur (philosophus) pecuniam magno opere desideret vel potius curet omnino? an Scythes Anacharsis potuit pro nihilo pecuniam ducere, nostrates philosophi non potuerunt? Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 89 sq.: An vero P. Scipio T. Gracchum privatus interfecit, Catilinam vero nos consules perferemus? id. Cat. 1, 1; so id. Rab. Perd. 5; id. Phil. 14, 5, 12 Muret.; id. Fin. 1, 2, 5, ubi v. Madv.
      It sometimes introduces a question suggested by the words of another: He. Mane. Non dum audisti, Demea, Quod est gravissimum? De. An quid est etiam anplius? Is there then etc., Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 21: sed ad haec, nisi molestum est, habeo quae velim. An me, inquam, nisi te audire vellem censes haec dicturum fuisse? Cic. Fin. 1, 8, 28; 2, 22, 74; id. Tusc. 5, 26, 73; 5, 12, 35; id. Brut. 184; id. Fat. 2, 4; v. Madv. ad Cic. Fin. 1, 8, 28.
      It sometimes anticipates an answer to something going before: At vero si ad vitem sensus accesserit, ut appetitum quendam habeat et per se ipsa moveatur, quid facturam putas? An ea, quae per vinitorem antea consequebatur, per se ipsa curabit? shall we not say that, must we not think that etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 14, 38, ubi v. Madv.
    5. E. An non. and in one word, annon (in direct questions more freq. than necne): isne est quem quaero an non? Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 12: Hocine agis an non? id. And. 1, 2, 15: Tibi ego dico an non? id. ib. 4, 4, 23: utrum sit an non voltis? Plaut. Am. prol. 56: utrum cetera nomina in codicem accepti et expensi digesta habes annon? Cic. Rosc. Com. 3 al.
      Also in indirect questions = necne, q. v.: abi, vise redieritne jam an non dum domum, Ter. Phorm. 3, 4, 5: videbo utrum clamorem opere conpleverint, an non est ita, Vulg. Gen. 18, 21; 24, 21.
  2. F. An ne, usually written anne, pleon. for an.
        1. a. In direct questions: anne tu dicis quā ex causā vindicaveris? Cic. Mur. 26.
        2. b. In indirect questions: nec. aequom anne iniquom imperet, cogitabit, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 19; id. Ps. 1, 1, 122: percontarier, Utrum aurum reddat anne eat secum simul, id. Bacch. 4, 1, 4: Nam quid ego de consulato loquar, parto vis, anue gesto? Cic. Pis. 1, 3: cum interrogetur, tria pauca sint anne multa, id. Ac. 2, 29: Gabinio dicam anne Pompeio, an utrique, id. Imp. Pomp. 19, 57; so id. Or. 61, 206: Quid enim interest, divitias, opes, valetudinem bona dicas anne praeposita, cum etc., id. Fin. 4, 9, 23 Madv.; August. ap. Suet. Aug. 69 al. (for the omission of the second disjunctive clause or the particle necne representing it, v. utrum; instances of this usage in eccl. Lat. are, Vulg. Lev. 13, 36; 14, 36; ib. Num. 11, 23 al.).
  3. II. In disjunctive clauses that express doubt, or.
    1. A. Utrum stultitiā facere ego hunc an malitiā Dicam, scientem an imprudentem, incertus sum. Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 54: ut nescias, utrum res oratione an verba sententiis illustrentur, Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 56: honestumne factu sit an turpe, dubitant, id. Off. 1, 3, 9: nescio, gratulerne tibi an timeam, id. Fam. 2, 5; Caes. B. G. 7, 5: pecuniae an famae minus parceret, haud facile discerneres, Sall. C. 25, 3; so id. ib. 52, 10; Suet. Aug. 19; id. Tib. 10; id. Claud. 15: cognoscet de doctrinā, utrum ex Deo sit an ego a me ipso loquar, Vulg. Joan. 7, 17; ib. Eccl. 2, 19 al.
    2. B. An sometimes denotes uncertainty by itself, without a verb of doubting (dubito, dubium or incertum est, etc., vet in such cases the editors are divided between an and aut; cf. Mos. and Orell. ad Cic. Rep. 1, 12): verene hoc memoriae proditum est regem istum Numam Pythagorae ipsius discipulum, an certe Pythagoreum fuisse? Cic. Rep. 2, 15, where B. and K. read aut certe: Cn. Octavius est an Cn. Cornelius quidam tuus familiaris, summo genere natus, terrae filius; is etc., id. Fam. 7, 9 B. and K.: Themistocles quidem, cum ei Simonides an quis alius artem memoriae polliceretur, Oblivionis, inquit, mallem, Simonides or some other person, id. Fin. 2, 32, 104; id. Fam. 7, 9, 3; id. Att. 1, 3, 2; 2, 7, 3; v. Madv. ad Cic. Fin. 2, 32, 104.
    3. C. It often stands for sive (so esp. in and after the Aug. per.): quod sit an non, nihil commovet analogiam, whether this be so or not, Varr. L. L. 9, § 105 Müll.; Att. ap. Prisc. p. 677 P.; Ov. R. Am. 797: saucius an sanus, numquid tua signa reliqui, id. F. 4, 7: Illa mihi referet, si nostri mutua curast, An minor, an toto pectore deciderim, Tib. 3, 1, 20; Tac. A. 11, 26: sive nullam opem praevidebat inermis atque exul, seu taedio ambiguae spei an amore conjugis et liberorum, id. ib. 14, 59.
    4. D. The first disjunctive clause is freq. to be supplied from the gen. idea or an may stand for utrum—necne (cf. supra, I. D.): qui scis, an, quae jubeam, sine vi faciat? (vine coactus is to be supplied), how knowest thou whether or not he will do it without compulsion? Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 20: An dolo malo factum sit, ambigitur, Cic. Tull. 23: quaesivi an misisset (periplasmata), id. Verr. 4, 27: Vide an facile fieri tu potueris, cum etc., id. Fragm. B. 13, 2, 1: praebete aurem et videte an mentiar, Vulg. Job, 6, 28: de L. Bruto fortasse dubitaverim an propter infinitum odium tyranni effrenatius in Aruntem invaserit, I might doubt whether or not, etc., Cic. Tusc. 4, 22, 50; id. Verr. 3, 76: Quis scit an adiciant hodiernae crastina summae Tempora di superi? Hor. C. 4, 7, 17; Plin. Ep. 6, 21, 3; Quint. 2, 17, 38: Sine videamus an veniat Elias, Vulg. Matt. 27, 49: tria sine dubio rursus spectanda sunt, an sit, quid sit, quale sit, Quint. 5, 10, 53: dubium an quaesitā morte, Tac. A. 1, 5; 6, 50; 4, 74: Multitudo an vindicatura Bessum fuerit, incertum est, Curt. 7, 5: diu Lacedaemonii, an eum summae rei praeponerent, deliberaverunt, Just. 6, 2, 4 et saep.
    5. E. Since in such distrib. sentences expressive of doubt, the opinion of the speaker or the probability usually inclines to the second, i. e. to the clause beginning with an, the expressions haud scio an, nescio an, dubito an (the latter through all pers. and tenses), incline to an affirmative signification, I almost know, I am inclined to think, I almost think, I might say, I might assert that, etc., for perhaps, probably (hence the opinion is incorrect that an, in this situation, stands for an non; for by an non a negation of the objective clause is expressed, e. g. nescio an non beatus sit, I am almost of the opinion that he is not happy, v. infra, and cf. Beier ad Cic. Off. 1, Exc. XI. p. 335 sq.; Cic. uses haud scio an eleven times in his Orations; nescio an, four times): atque haud scio an, quae dixit sint vera omnia, Ter. And. 3, 2, 45: crudele gladiatorum spectaculum et inhumanum non nullis videri solet: et haud scio an ita sit, ut nunc fit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41; id. Fl. 26: testem non mediocrem, sed haud scio an gravissimum, perhaps, id. Off. 3, 29: constantiam dico? nescio an melius patientiam possim dicere, id. Lig. 9; id. Fam. 9, 19: ingens eo die res, ac nescio an maxima illo bello gesta sit, Liv. 23, 16; Quint. 12, 11, 7 al.: si per se virtus sine fortunā ponderanda sit, dubito an Thrasybulum primum omuium ponam, I am not certain whether I should not prefer Thrasybulus to all others, Nep. Thras. 1 Dähne: dicitur acinace stricto Darius dubitāsse an fugae dedecus honestā morte vitaret, i. e. was almost resolved upon, Curt. 4, 5, 30: ego dubito an id improprium potius appellem, Quint. 1, 5, 46; Gell. 1, 3 al.
      Hence, a neg. objective clause must contain in this connection the words non, nemo, nullus, nihil, numquam, nusquam, etc.: dubitet an turpe non sit, he is inclined to believe that it is not bad, Cic. Off. 3, 12, 50: haud scio an ne opus quidem sit, nihil umquam deesse amicis, id. Am. 14, 51: eloquentiā quidem nescio an habuisset parem neminem, id. Brut. 33: quod cum omnibus est faciendum tum haud scio an nemini potius quam tibi, to no one perhaps more, id. Off. 3, 2, 6: meā sententiā haud scio an nulla beatior esse possit, id. Sen. 16; id. Leg. 1, 21: non saepe atque haud scio an numquam, id. Or. 2, 7 al.
  4. F. Sometimes the distributive clause beginning with an designates directly the opposite, the more improbable, the negative; in which case nescio an, haud scio an, etc., like the Engl. I know not whether, signify I think that not, I believe that not, etc.; hence, in the object. clause, aliquis, quisquam, ullus, etc., must stand instead of nemo, nullus, etc. (so for the most part only after Cic.): an profecturus sim, nescio, I know not (i. e. I doubt, I am not confident) whether I shall effect any thing, Sen. Ep. 25: opus nescio an superabile, magnum certe tractemus, id. Q. N. 3, praef. 4; Caecil. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 6: haud scio an vivere nobis liceret, I know not whether we, etc., Cic. Har. Resp. 11, 22: doleo enim maximam feminam eripi oculis civitatis, nescio an aliquid simile visuris, for I know not whether they will ever see any thing of this kind, Plin. Ep. 7, 19; Val. Max. 5, 2, 9: nescio an ullum tempus jucundius exegerim, I do not know whether I have ever passed time more pleasantly, id. 3, 1: namque huic uni contigit, quod nescio an ulli, Nep. Timol. 1, 1; Sen. Contr. 3 praef.; Quint. 9, 4, 1: nostri quoque soloecum, soloecismum nescio an umquam dixerint, Gell. 5, 20 al. Cf. upon this word Hand, Turs. I. pp. 296-361, and Beier, Exc. ad Cic. Am. pp. 202-238.

2. an-, v. ambi.

3. -ăn. This word appears in forsan, forsitan, and fortasse an (Att. Trag. Rel. p. 151 Rib.) or fortassan, seeming to enhance the idea of uncertainty and doubt belonging to fors, etc., and is regarded by some as the Greek conditional particle ἄν, and indeed one of these compounds, forsitan, sometimes in the Vulgate, translates ἄν; as, Joan. 4, 10; 5, 46; 8, 19; and in 3, Joan. 9, it still represents the various reading, ἄν.