pater semper incertus est

Latin

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpa.ter ˈsem.per inˈker.tus est/, [ˈpa.tɛr ˈsɛm.pɛr ɪŋˈkɛr.tʊs ɛst]

Phrase

"The father is always uncertain" (i.e., the identity of a child’s father is always in question)

Freud in Family Romances (1909) states that pater semper incertus est while the mother is certissima –
Note: at the present time Genealogical DNA testing can establish paternity with certainty.

References

Name of the Father

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