ἤτοι

See also: ήτοι

Ancient Greek

Etymology

ἤ (ḗ) +‎ τοι (toi)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̌ː.toi̯/ → /ˈi.ty/ → /ˈi.ti/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɛ̌ː.toi̯/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈe̝.ty/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ty/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ty/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ti/

Conjunction

ἤτοι • (ḗtoi)

1. either
2. or

Usage notes

Paired with ἤ (ḗ) to form an “either... or...” construction; it can appear either first (ἤτοι... ἤ... (ḗtoi... ḗ...)) or second (ἤ... ἤτοι... (ḗ... ḗtoi...)). It can also introduce more than two alternatives (ἤτοι... ἤ... ἤ... (ḗtoi... ḗ... ḗ...)). In earlier language, ἤτοι (ḗtoi) was more emphatic than ἤ (ḗ), but in the later language this is not necessarily the case.

References

• “ἤτοι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press