πότερος, α, ον;
Ionic dialect κότερος, η, ον: whether of the two? both in direct and indirect questions; once in [[ 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus, οὐκ ἂν γνοίης ποτέροισι μετείη 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 5.85; κότερα τούτων αἱρετώτερά ἐστι..; 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.52, compare 1.126; πότερα τύχης καὶ πότερα γνώμης ἔργα κρίνει; 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 1.4.4; σκόπει πρὸς ποτέρους διαλέγῃ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 528a, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: sometimes the two objects referred to follow in apposition, ἐρωτώσης τῆς μητρός, π. καλλίων.. δοκεῖ εἶναι, ὁ πατὴρ ἢ οὗτος [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.3.2, compare “Mem.” 1.6.9; πότερος.., ὁ ἰατρὸς ἢ ὁ ὀψοποιό; 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 464d, compare 498a, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; modified by τις, [[ [prev. author] “Lg.” 715a, etc.] Refs]; repeated in the same sentence, πότερος ποτερου φίλος γίγνετα; [[ [prev. author] “Ly.” 212a. ] Refs]
__II neuter πότερον and πότερα (interchangeable, πότερον δέδρακεν ἢ οὔ, καὶ πότερ᾽ ἄκων ἢ ἑκώ; [[ 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 23.79, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 3.6.16), as ] Refs 5th c.BC+] adverb at the beginning of an interrogative sentence containing two alternative propositions, the second being connected by ἤ.., whether.. or,
__II.a in direct questions, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 11.22, “fragment” 213, 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 17.33, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.88, etc.; τίνες κατῆρξαν, πότερον Ἕλληνες ἢ παῖς ἐμό; 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 351, etc.; πότερα δικαστὴν ἢ δικηφόρον λέγει; [prev. author] “Ch.” 120, compare “Supp.” 336. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]