dūdum
Meaning
- not comparablea short time ago, a little while ago, not long since
- not comparablebefore, formerly, previously
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Pridem · Diu · Dudum · Diuturnus · Diutinus
1. Pridem (πρὶν δή) denotes a point of time, as long before; diu and dudum, a space of time as long since; diu denotes many days, months, years ago; dudum (δαρόν?) several minutes or hours since. Jam pridem mortuus est means, he died long ago, as an aorist; jam diu mortuus est, he has already long been in his grave as a perfect. Cic. Cat. i. 1. Ad mortem te duci jam pridem oportebat; in te conferri pestem illam quam tu in nos omnes jamdiu machinaris. Tac. Ann. xv. 64. Seneca Annæum diu sibi amicitiæ fide et arte medicinæ probatum orat, proviram pridem venenum promeret. 2. Diutunus denotes long duration indifferently, as something long in a general sense, or with praise, as something lasting and possessing durability, in opp. to that which quickly passes away, like χρόνιος; whereas diutinus, with blame, something protracted and wearisome, like αἰανός. Cic. Senect. 19. Nihil mihi diuturnum videtur, in quo est aliquid extremum: comp. with Fam. xi. 8: Libertatis desiderio et odio diutinæ servitutis.
also diu, pridem): quid ille revortitur, qui dudum properare se aibat, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 29; 1, 1, 231; 2, 1, 73; 3, 2, 35; id. Trin. 2, 4, 29 et saep.; Ter And. 3, 4, 12; id. Heaut. 3, 3, 34 et saep.; Cic. Tusc. 1, 31, 76; id. de Or. 2, 65, 262; id. Att. 11, 24; Verg. A. 5, 650; Stat. Th. 1, 670. —nunc assentatrix scelesta est, dudum adversatrix erat, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 100; id. Men. 5, 5, 33; 5, 1, 29: etiam si dudum fuerat ambiguom hoc mihi, nunc non est, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 26 al.; id. And. 4, 1, 29; 5, 1, 5; id. Eun. 4, 4, 16; Cic. Brut. 36, 138; Verg. A. 2, 726; 12, 632.—quid tu me sic salutas, quasi dudum non videris, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 52 (dub. Ussing ad loc.).—nam ut dudum hinc abii, accessi ad adolescentes in foro, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 18; cf. id. Aul. 4, 8, 5; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 33: scilicet qui dudum tecum venit, cum pallam mihi Detulisti, just now, id. Men. 2, 3, 41; cf. ib. 5, 1, 1.—Less freq. without these conjunctions: is se ad portum dixerat Ire dudum, just now, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 135, ed. Ritschl.—vide quam dudum hic asto et pulto! id. Stich. 2, 1, 38; Ter. And. 5, 2, 9; id. Eun. 4, 4, 30: Al. Qui non abiisti, ita ut dudum dixeras? Am. Dudum? Quam dudum istuc factum'st? Al. Temptas; jam dudum, modo, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 59.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *dūdom, from base *dū, of unclear origin. De Vaan suggests it is related to dūrus, from PIE *dweh₂- (“far, long”), and therefore cognate with Ancient Greek δήν (dḗn, “for a long time, long ago”) and Proto-Slavic *davě (“long ago”) (whence *davьnъ (“ancient”)). Per Lewis and Short, from diū + dum.