forsitan

Latin

Etymology

From fors (“chance”) + sit (“be”, subjunctive) + an (“whether”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfor.si.tan/, [ˈfɔrs̠ɪt̪än]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfor.si.tan/, [ˈfɔrsit̪än]

Adverb

forsitan (not comparable)

1. perhaps, perchance, maybe
   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Tobiae.3.19:

     et aut ego indigna fui illis aut illi mihi forsitan digni non fuerunt quia forsitan viro alio conservasti me

     And either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me: because perhaps thou hast kept me for another man,

Synonyms

• (perhaps): forsan, forsit, fortasse, fortassis, forte

Related terms

• fors
• forsan
• forsit
• fortasse
• fortassis
• forte
• fortuītō
• fortuītus
• fortūna

References

• “forsitan”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “forsitan”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• forsitan in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, 1st edition. (Oxford University Press)