olim

Forms

ōlim (not comparable)^[1] Petronius has ōlim ōliōrum, apparently a comic jingle.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from the stem of olle (also ⟨ollus⟩), an archaic form of ille (“that”), with the locative ending -im; it meant “at that time”.^[2][3][1] Köbler compares the root Proto-Indo-European *al- (“beyond”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Ennius.^[4] Plautus has illam minīs ōlim decem puellam parvolam ēmī, “I once bought her as a little girl for ten minae”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Ōlim is “formerly, in the past” as opposed to now, and in telling a story “once (upon a time)”.^[2][3][1] With iam it means “for a long time past”, often with a present tense (Novius: ōlim exspectāta veniunt septem Sāturnālia, “the long-awaited seven days of the Saturnalia are coming”), and nōn ōlim is “only recently”.^[2] Looking forward it is “one day, at some future time”, chiefly in poetry and letters (Cicero: “if only we could talk face to face one day rather than by letter!”).^[2][1] In similes it is “on occasion, sometimes”.^[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “formerly, once upon a time, at times, long ago, for a long while”.^[5]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ōlim … puellam parvolam ēmī.^[2][4]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it in a simile, “sometimes”.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the future.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. formerly, once, in the past.^[2][3][1][5]
2. Once upon a time (in stories).^[2][1][5]
3. ōlim (iam): for a long time past; long ago.^[2][5]
4. One day, at some future time.^[2][1]
5. Sometimes, on occasion.^[2][1][5]

Word family

• ōlitānus

Related words

• ille

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson