albus an ater sit

Latin

Etymology

From albus (“white”) + an (“whether”) + āter (“black”) + sit (“he may be”) the present subjunctive third person singular of sum (“I am”). Literally meaning "he may be white or black". Compare homō nūllīus colōris (“a man of no color”).

Originally from the longer:

Albus an ater sit, nescio.

I don't know whether he is white or black.

or

Albus an ater sit, non curo.

I care not whether he is white or black.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈal.bus an ˈaː.ter sit/, [ˈäɫ̪bʊs̠ än ˈäːt̪ɛr s̠ɪt̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.bus an ˈa.ter sit/, [ˈälbus än ˈäːt̪er sit̪]

Proverb

albus an āter sit

1. at all, anything

Vide, quam te amārit is, qui albus aterne fueris ignorans, fratris filium praeteriit. —Cicero, Philippics, 2.16

See how much he loved you, who, not knowing a thing about you (lit. whether you were black or white), passed over his brother's son (and made you his heir).

Nil nimium studeo, Caesar, tibi velle placere

nec scire utrum sis albus an ater homo

—Catullus (contemporary with Caesar), Carmina, 93

I don't much care to please you, Caesar

Nor to know whether you be white or be black (i.e., anything at all about you)