Altera vs. Alius

Textbooks Latin For Beginners by D'Ooge
1

Hey,

I am learning Latin with D’Ooge and came across this English to Latin question:
(question followed by my answer followed by the answer key’s answer)

  • One boy likes chickens, the other horses.
  • Alter puer gallinas amat, alter equos.
  • Alius puer gallinas amat, alius equios.

I have noted that alius is used with several items and alter with two (108.). But in this instance it is between two! Is my answer wrong?

2

alius…alius is not necessarily out of place here.
Think of it this way: alius…alius means “one…another”; alter…alter means “one…the other”.

3

Agreed, but “the other” rather than “_an_other” does seem to support alter.

4

Thanks, I don’t know how I missed that. The book is clearly in the wrong, and I wasn’t being very helpful.

If, on the other hand, the book had said “One boy likes chickens, the next horses”, then perhaps either alter or alius would have been OK, since “the next” can leave it open, I think, whether the implied set of boys is two in number (i.e. only the two mentioned) or an unspecified number above that, of which the two mentioned are only a sample.

5

Hey,

thanks for the reply. Presumably to use alius would be fine even if it were two in number, but am I right to say that alter is, in this context, correct?