necnĕ — Lewis & Short
necnĕ, adv.neque-ne,
I or not, is used in the second half of a disjunctive interrogation, corresponding to -ne or utrum, and also without a corresp interrog, particle in the first half (usually in indirect interrogations, and without repeating the verb).
I In indirect interrogations.
A Without a verb:
quaero, potueritne Roscius ex societate partem suam petere necne,Cic. Rosc. Com. 17, 52:
jam dudum ego erro, qui quaeram, utrum emeris necne,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 16, § 35:
utrum proelium committi ex usu esset necne,Caes. B. G. 1, 50:
nunc habeam necne, incertum est,Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 43:
posset agi lege necne pauci quondam sciebant,Cic. Mur. 11, 25:
accipiat enim actionem necne ad eventum pertinet,Quint. 3, 6, 73; cf. id. 1, 4, 21;
and Spald. on 7, 3, 30: idcirco quidam, comoedia necne poëma Esset, quaesivere,Hor. S. 1, 4, 45.—
B With a verb:
Aristo dubitat omnino, deus animans necne sit,Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 37:
hoc doce doleam necne doleam nihil interesse,id. Tusc. 2, 12, 29:
fiat necne fiat, id quaeritur,id. Div. 1, 39, 86:
quaeritur sintne di necne sint,id. N. D. 1, 22, 61:
di utrum sint necne sint, quaeritur,id. ib. 3, 7, 17.—
II In a direct interrogation (rare):
sunt haec tua verba necne?Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 41.