[1518.] In the simplest form of the alternative sentence, neither question is introduced by an interrogative particle: as,
quid agō? adeō, maneō? T. Ph. 736, what shall I do? go up and speak, or wait? ([1531]).
[1519.] Of two alternative questions, the first either has no interrogative particle at all, or is more commonly introduced by utrum, -ne, or -n. The second is introduced by an, rarely by anne, or if it is negative, by an nōn: as,
([a.]) album an ātrum vīnum pōtās? Pl. Men. 915, do you take light wine or dark? Tacitus es an Plīnius? Plin. Ep. 9, 23, 3, are you Tacitus or Pliny? sortiētur an nōn? PC. 37, will he draw lots or not? (b.) iam id porrō utrum libentēs an invītī dabant? V. 3, 118, then furthermore did they offer it voluntarily or did they consent to give it under stress? utrum cētera nōmina in cōdicem acceptī et expēnsī dīgesta habēs an nōn? RC. 9, have you all other items methodically posted in your ledger or not? (c.) servosne es an līber? Pl. Am. 343, art bond or free? esne tū an nōn es ab illō mīlitī Macedoniō? Pl. Ps. 616, art thou or art thou not the Macedonian captain’s man? videōn Clīniam an nōn? T. Hau. 405, do I see Clinia or not?
[1520.] necne for an nōn is rare: as, sēmina praetereā linquontur necne animāī corpore in exanimō? Lucr. 3, 713, are seeds moreover left or not of soul within the lifeless frame? Twice in Cicero: as, sunt haec tua verba necne? TD. 3, 41, are these your words or not? But necne is common in indirect questions.
[1521.] Instead of a single second question with an, several questions may be used if the thought requires it, each introduced by an.
[1522.] Sometimes an introductory utrum precedes two alternative questions with -ne and an: as, utrum tū māsne an fēmina ’s? Pl. R. 104, which is it, art thou man or maid? This construction has its origin in questions in which utrum is used as a live pronoun: as, utrum māvīs? statimne nōs vēla facere an paululum rēmigāre? TD. 4, 9, which would you rather do, have us make sail at once, or row just a little bit? In Horace and late prose, utrumne . . . an is found a few times.
[1523.] Sometimes a second alternative question is not put at all: as, utrum hōc bellum nōn est? Ph. 8, 7, in old English, whether is not this war?
[1524.] Two or more separate questions asked with -ne . . . -ne, or with num ... num, must not be mistaken for alternative questions: as, num Homērum, num Hēsiodum coēgit obmūtēscere senectūs? CM. 23, did length of days compel either Homer or Hesiod to hush his voice? ([1692]).