LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adverb

iam

iam (not comparable)
Classical[ˈjãː]Ecclesiastical[ˈjam]
№ 34 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. not comparablealready
    vis illa fuit et, ut saepe iam dixi, ruina quaedam atque tempestas et quidvis potius quam iudicium aut disceptatio aut quaestio.Translation by Charles Duke Yonge It was all violence, and, as I have said before, a sort of earthquake or tempest,—it was anything rather than a court of justice, or a legal discussion, or a judicial investigation.66 BCE, Cicero, Pro Cluentio 35.96
  2. not comparablenow
    Refecti decumum iidem tribuni, deinde Sextius et Licinius dē decemvirīs sacrōrum ex parte dē plēbe creandīs lēgem pertulēre. creātī quīnque patrum quīnque plēbis; gradūque eō jam via facta ad consulātum vidēbātur.Elected for the tenth time already, Sextus and Licinius the tribunes made a law for decemvirs of Rome's sacred rites to be issued in part from the people. Five were elected from the patricians, five others from the people; by this same move, a straight path to consulship had now been open to them.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 6.42.2
    jamque opus exēgī, quod nec Jovis īra nec ignisAnd now, I have completed a great work, which not Jove's anger, and not fire nor steel, nor fast-consuming time can sweep away.8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 15.871
  3. not comparabledoubly emphatic: now — now, this very moment, this instant, any time now, as of now, now indeed
    CAPPADOX: Iam iam faciam ut iusseris.CAPPADOX: Now, now, I’ll do as you say (lit., as you will have ordered)!c. 190 BCE, Plautus, Curculio 707
    Iam iam nec maxuma Iūnō / nec Sāturnius haec oculīs pater aspicit aequīs.“Right now, neither do supreme Juno nor the Father [who is son of] Saturn regard these [matters] with the impartial eyes [of justice].” Or, “No longer do ….”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.371–372
  4. not comparableanymore
  5. not comparablesoon
  6. not comparablenow, again, moreover, once more
    Iam in opere quis par Romano miles?Moreover, what soldier can match the Roman in entrenching?27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita : 9.19

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

now, already
iam — in Seneca, ch. I

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

tertiam iam aetatem videre
to be middle-aged (i.e. between thirty and forty).
sicut parta iam atque explorata victoria
as if the victory were already won.
quinque annos or sextum (iam) annum abest
he has been absent five years.
illae sententiae iam pridem explosae et eiectae sunt (Fin. 5. 8. 23)
those ideas have long ago been given up.

jam, adv. for diam, collat. form of diem, cf. pri-dem, du-dum, Corss. Ausspr. I. p. 213; II. p. 850; but acc. to Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. 398, 620; locat. form from pronom. stem ja.
I. Of time, denoting a point or moment of time as coinciding with that of the action, etc., described.
A. Of present time.
1. As opp. to past or future, at this time, now, just now, at present, i. e. while I speak or write this.
a. Jam alone: jamne autem, ut soles, deludis? Plaut. Aul. 5, 11: jam satis credis sobrium esse me, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 36: saltus reficit jam roscida luna, Verg. G. 3, 337: jam tenebris et sole cadente, id. ib. 3, 401: jamque dies, ni fallor, adest, id. A. 5, 49: jam advesperascit, Ter. And. 3, 4, 2: reddere qui voces jam scit puer, Hor. A. P. 158: stabat modo consularis, modo septemvir epulonum; jam neutrum, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 12: jam melior, jam, diva, precor, Verg. A. 12, 179: Hem, scio jam quod vis dicere, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 36: in ea (consuetudine) quaedam sunt jura ipsa jam certa propter vetustatem, Cic. Inv. 2, 22, 67: jam tempus agi, Verg. A. 5, 638: surgere jam tempus, Cat. 62, 3.—
b. Strengthened.
(a). By repetition: jam jam, jam jamque (nearly = nunc), at this very time, precisely now: jam jam intellego, Crasse, quod dicas, Cic. de Or. 3, 24, 90: jam jam minime miror te otium perturbare, id. Phil. 2, 34, 87: jam jam dolet quod egi, jam jamque paenitet, Cat. 63, 73: jam jam linquo acies, Verg. A. 12, 875: jam jamque video bellum, Cic. Att. 16, 9 fin.: at illum ruere nuntiant et jam jamque adesse, id. ib. 7, 20, 1; cf.: jam mihi, jam possim contentus vivere parvo, Tib. 1, 1, 25 (7).—
(b). By nunc: jam nunc, just now, at this very time, as things now are: jam nunc irata non es, Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 65: dux, jam nunc locatus in urbe, Liv. 22, 38, 9; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 127: quae cum cogito, jam nunc timeo quidnam, etc., Cic. Div. in Caecil. 13, 42: deliberationis ejus tempus ita jam nunc statui posse, etc., Liv. 31, 32, 3: ipsa Venus laetos jam nunc migravit in agros, Tib. 2, 3, 3: nec jam nunc regina loquor, Val. Fl. 8, 47; so, nunc jam (nunciam): secede huc nunciam, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 23: audi nunciam, Ter. And. 2, 1, 29: i nunciam, id. Ad. 2, 1, 21: nunc jam sum expeditus, Cass. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 12, 5: nunc jam nobis vobisque consulatus patet, Liv. 7, 32, 14.—
(g). By tum: jam tum opifices funguntur munere, Plin. 11, 21, 24, § 74; Verg. G. 2, 405; id. A. 1, 18.—
(d). By pridem, v. jampridem.—
2. In contrast with the time at which something was expected.
a. Of that which occurs sooner, already, so soon: quies (animos) aut jam exhaustos aut mox exhauriendos, renovavit, Liv. 21, 21, 7: gravitate valetudinis, qua tamen jam paululum videor levari, Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 1; 3, 8, 16: jamne ibis, are you going so soon, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 86; id. Rud. 2, 7, 26.—
b. Of that which occurs later, at last, now, only now: ohe jam desine deos uxor gratulando obtundere, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 8: postulo, Dave, ut redeat jam in viam, id. And. 1, 2, 19: jamque sero diei subducit ex acie legionem faciendis castris, Tac. A. 2, 21: jam sanguinis alti vis sibi fecit iter, Luc. 2, 214.—Tandem or aliquando is often added: jam tandem ades ilico, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 39: putamus enim utile esse te aliquando jam rem transigere, Cic. Att. 1, 4, 1: jam tandem Italiae fugientis prendimus oras, Verg. A. 6, 61; Liv. 22, 12, 10.—
3. As continued from the past, already, by this time, ere now, till now, hitherto: et apud Graecos quidem jam anni prope quadrigenti sunt, etc., Cic. Or. 51, 171: obsolevit jam ista oratio, id. de Imp. Pomp. 17, 52: nondum feminam aequavimus gloriā, et jam nos laudis satietas cepit? Curt. 9, 6, 23.—With numerals and words specifying time: jam biennium est, cum mecum coepit rem gerere, Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 35; so, plus jam anno, id. Curc. 1, 1, 14: sunt duo menses jam, Cic. Rosc. Com. 3, 8: qui septingentos jam annos vivunt, etc., id. Fl. 26, 63: annum jam tertium et vicesimum regnat, id. de Imp. Pomp. 3, 7; id. Fin. 2, 29, 94.—
4. With imperatives, to express haste or impatience, like Engl. now, now, straightway, at once: quid miserum, Aenea, laceras? Jam parce sepulto, Verg. A. 3, 41: sed jam age, carpe viam, id. ib. 6, 629: et jam tu ... illum adspice contra, id. ib. 11, 373.—So in impetuous or passionate questions (freq. in Plaut.): Jam tu autem nobis praeturam geris? Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 23; cf. id. Aul. 5, 11; id. Bacch. 2, 2, 25.—
5. Jam ... jam, at one time ... at another, now ... now, at this time ... at that: jamque eadem digitis jam pectine pulsat eburno, Verg. A. 647: jamque hos cursu, jam praeterit illos, id. ib. 4, 157: qui jam contento, jam laxo fune laborat, Hor. S. 2, 7, 20: jam vino quaerens, jam somno fallere curas, id. ib. 2, 7, 114: jam secundae, jam adversae res, ita erudierant, etc., Liv. 30, 30; Tib. 1, 2, 49; Ov. M. 1, 111.—
B. Of past time.
1. In the time just past, but now, a moment ago, a little while ago, just: videamus nunc quam sint praeclare illa his, quae jam posui, consequentia, Cic. Fin. 3, 7, 26: Arsinoë et jam dicta Memphis, Plin. 5, 9, 11, § 61: insulae praeter jam dictas, id. 3, 26, 30, § 151: hiems jam praecipitaverat, Caes. B. C. 3, 25, 1: domum quam tu jam exaedificatam habebas, Cic. Att. 1, 6, 1.—
2. Like English now, by this time, already.
a. Alone: jam advesperascebat, Liv. 39, 50: Hannibalem movisse ex hibernis, et jam Alpes transire, id. 27, 39: et jam fama volans ... domos et moenia complet, Verg. A. 11, 139; 12, 582; Caes. B. G. 1, 11; 6, 6: jamque rubescebat Aurora, Verg. A. 3, 521; 10, 260: ut semel inclinavit pugna, jam intolerabilis Romana vis erat, Liv. 6, 32: cum decimum jam diem graviter ex intestinis laborarem, Cic. Fam. 7, 26, 1.—
b. Strengthened.
(a). Jam jamque, Verg. A. 8, 708.—
(b). By tum, as early as that: se jam tum gessisse pro cive, Cic. Arch. 5, 11; Liv. 29, 1; Verg. 7, 738; Tac. Agr. 45.—
(g). By tunc (post-Aug.; once in Cic.), Suet. Aug. 89; id. Ner. 7; Tac. H. 4, 50; Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 3 dub.—
3. Of a time succeeding another time referred to, from that time, thenceforth, thereafter (esp. with a or ab, when it is often = Eng. even, very): qui aequom esse censent nos jam a pueris nasci senes, Ter. Heaut. 2, 1, 2: quae me maxime sicuti jam a prima adolescentia delectarunt, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 67: benevolentia quae mihi jam a pueritia tua cognita est, id. ib. 4, 7, 1: dederas enim jam ab adolescentia documenta, id. Mil. 8, 22: jam ab illo tempore, cum, etc., from the very time when, etc., id. Fam. 2, 16, 9; cf.: urgerent philosophorum greges jam ab illo fonte et capite Socrate, id. de Or. 1, 10, 42. —So with ex: jam ex quo ipse accepisset regnum, ever since, Liv. 42, 11, 8.—
C. Of future time.
1. In the time immediately approaching, forthwith, straightway, directly, presently: occlude sis fores ambobus pessulis: jam ego hic ero, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 25: ille jam hic aderit, id. Ep. 2, 2, 72: omitte; jam adero, Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 26; cf. id. ib. 4, 6, 1; id. And. 1, 2, 9; 4, 4, 38: bono animo es; jam argentum ad eam deferes, quod ei es pollicitus, id. Heaut. 4, 6, 18: facere id ut paratum jam sit, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 76: jam fuerit, neque post unquam revocare licebit, Lucr. 3, 927: jam faciam quod voltis, Hor. S. 1, 1, 16: jam enim aderunt consules ad suas Nonas, Cic. Att. 7, 20, 2.—
2. In the time immediately succeeding another time referred to, forthwith, at once, straightway, then: nunc ubi me illic non videbit, jam huc recurret, Ter. Ad. 4, 1, 10: accede ad ignem ... jam calesces, id. Eun. 1, 2, 5: nisi puerum tollis, jam ego hunc in mediam viam provolvam, id. And. 4, 4, 38: de quibus jam dicendi locus erit, cum de senioribus pauca dixero, Cic. Brut. 25, 96: agedum, dictatorem creemus. Jam hic centicescet furor, Liv. 2, 29, 11: aperi, inquit, jam scies, Petr. 16, 2; cf. Verg. A. 1, 272.—
3. Representing as present an impending event, now, already, presently (mostly poet.): jam te premet nox, Hor. C. 1, 4, 16: jam veniet mors, jam subrepet iners aetas, Tib. 1, 1, 70: jam mare turbari trabibus videbis, jam fervere litora flammis, Verg. A. 4, 566; 6, 676: alius Latio jam partus Achilles, id. ib. 6, 89: hic magnae jam locus urbis erit, Tib. 2, 5, 55.—
D. With negatives, denoting cessation of previous condition: jam non, no more, no longer: quem odisse jam non potestis, Cic. Clu. 10, 29; Ov. M. 4, 382: non jam, not any more, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 1, 3: nihil jam, Caes. B. G. 2, 21.—
E. With comparatives: ad mitiora jam ingenia, which had become milder, Liv. 27. 39: ad ferociores jam gentes, which then were less civilized, id. 21, 60: una jam potior sententia, Stat. Th. 2, 368.
II. In other relations.
A. To denote that something will certainly, properly, or easily occur, under certain circumstances.
1. In a conclusion, to emphasize its relation to the condition, then surely, then: si cogites, remittas jam me onerare injuriis, Ter. And. 5, 1, 6: si quis voluerit animi sui notionem evolvere, jam se ipse doceat, eum virum bonum esse, Cic. Off. 3, 19, 76: si hoc dixissem, jam mihi consuli jure optimo senatus vim intulisset, id. Cat. 1, 8, 21; id. Leg. 1, 12, 34; id. Brut. 17, 68: si jubeat eo dirigi, jam in portu fore omnem classem, Liv. 29, 27, 8.—
2. In a consequence, to show that it is conceived as immediate, now, then, therefore: satis est tibi in te, satis in legibus; jam contemni non poteris, Cic. Fin. 2, 26, 84: jam hoc non potest in te non honorifice esse dictum, id. Fam. 5, 2, 2; id. Leg. 2, 24, 60; id. Clu. 16, 46: nec hanc solam Romani meretricem colunt ... Jam quanta ista immortalitas putanda est, Lact. 1, 20, 5: Quae cum ita sint, ego jam hinc praedico, Liv. 40, 36, 14: conspecta et ex muris ea multitudo erat; jamque etiam legionariae cohortes sequebantur, id. 10, 43, 1.—
B. In transitions.
1. To a new subject, now, moreover, again, once more then: jam de artificiis et quaestibus ... haec fere accepimus, Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150; Verg. G. 2, 57: jam jura legitima ex legibus cognosci oportebit, Cic. Inv. 2, 22, 68: jam illud senatus consultum, quod eo die factum est, etc., id. Fam. 5, 2, 4: jam Saliare Numae carmen qui laudat, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 86. —So with vero: jam vero motus animi, sollicitudines aegritudinesque oblivione leniuntur, Cic. Tusc. 5, 38, 110: jam vero virtuti Cn. Pompei quae potest par oratio inveniri? id. de Imp. Pomp. 11, 29; 14, 41; id. Off. 3, 13 init.—With at enim: at enim jam dicetis virtutem non posse constitui, si ea, etc., Cic. Fin. 4, 15, 40 init.—
2. In enumerations: et aures ... itemque nares ... jam gustatus ... tactus autem, Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 141.—So sometimes repeatedly, at one time ... at another ... at another, jam ... jam ... jam: jam medici, jam apparatus cibi, jam in hoc solum importatum instrumentum balinei nullius non succurrit valetudini, Vell. 2, 114, 2; cf. Flor. 2, 17, 8, and I. A. 5. supra.—
C. For emphasis.
1. After non modo ... sed ( = adeo), now, even, I may say: non cum senatu modo, sed jam cum diis bellum gerere, Liv. 21, 63, 6.—
2. Pressing the strict sense of a word or clause, now, precisely, indeed: (Hieronymum) quem jam cur Peripateticum appellem, nescio, Cic. Fin. 5, 5, 14: hoc quidem haud molestum est jam, quod collus collari caret, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 107: loquor enim jam non de sapientium, sed de communibus amicitiis, Cic. Lael. 21, 77: te quoque jam, Thais, ita me di bene ament, amo, Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 43: imitatio morum alienorum ... jam inter leniores affectus numerari potest, Quint. 9, 2, 58: reliqua jam aequitatis sunt, id. 7, 1, 62: cetera jam fabulosa, Tac. G. 46: desine: jam venio moriturus, Verg. A. 10, 881.—So esp. with et: et jam (cf. etiam), and indeed, and in fact, et lenitas illa Graecorum et verborum comprehensio, et jam artifex, ut ita dicam, stilus, Cic. Brut. 25, 96: pulchriora etiam Polycleti et jam plane perfecta, id. ib. 18, 70: Pompeium et hortari et orare et jam liberius accusare non desistimus, id. Fam. 1, 1, 3; Quint. Decl. 5, 3; Luc. 8, 659; cf. jamque, Cic. Fam. 4, 6, 9; so, jam et: nec deerat Ptolemaeus, jam et sceleris instinctor, Tac. H. 1, 23; 1, 22; and, ac jam: ac jam, ut omnia contra opinionem acciderent, tamen se plurimum navibus posse, Caes. B. G. 3, 9: jam ergo, in very fact: jam ergo aliquis condemnavit, Cic. Clu. 41, 113.—
3. In climax, even, indeed, really: opus Paniceis, opus Placentinis quoque ... jam maritumi omnes milites opus sunt mihi, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 59: jam illa quae natura, non litteris, assecuti sunt, neque cum Graecia neque ulla cum gente sunt conferenda, Cic. Tusc. 1, 1, 2: jam in opere quis par Romano miles? Liv. 9, 19, 8; Quint. 12, 1, 45; Cic. Rep. 1, 5; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 83.

Origins

From Proto-Indo-European *Hyā́m, acc.sg.f. of *Hyós (“who, which”).

Descendants
  • Catalanja
  • Frenchjà
  • Italiangià
  • Portuguesejá
  • Sardiniangia
  • Spanishya
  • Asturianyá
  • Basqueia
  • Esperantojam
  • Franco-Provençalja

Quick answers

What does iam mean in Latin?
iam, a adverb, means “already; now; doubly emphatic: now — now, this very moment, this instant, any time now, as of now, now indeed”.
How do you pronounce iam?
In classical Latin, [ˈjãː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈjam].