ōlim — Lewis & Short
ōlim, adv.ole, olle, ollus or olus, archaic for ille, with locative ending -im, = illo tempore, v. Brix ad Plaut. Trin. 523, lit.,
I at that (sc. remote) time; hence,
I Of past time, some time ago, once upon a time, once, formerly, in time past, whilom, erst (freq. and class.; syn. quondam): versibu' quos olim Fauni vatesque canebant, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.):
ut fuit olim Sisyphus,Hor. S. 1, 3, 46:
sic enim olim loquebantur,Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 183:
olim, vel nuper,id. Div. 2, 25, 55;
so corresp. to hoc tempore,id. Fam. 7, 24, 1:
olim...mox,Tac. H. 1, 67:
ut erant olim,Cic. Att. 12, 39, 2; cf.:
alium esse censes nunc me, atque olim,Ter. And. 3, 3, 13; Cic. Fam. 15, 20, 2:
gens olim armis, mox memoriā nominis clara,Tac. H. 7, 67:
fuit olim senex: ei filiae Duae erant,there was once an old man, Plaut. Stich. 4, 1, 33.—
B Transf.
1 From the meaning in times past is derived that of since ever (Germ. von jener), what used to happen, was, is, the old custom; hence, in propositions which state, as the result cf experience, that any thing is wont to take place, at times (only ante-class. and poet.):
nunc lenonum plus est fere, Quam olim muscarum'st, cum caletur maxime,Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 45; cf. id. Mil. 1, 1, 2; id. Poen. 1, 2, 143; cf. also id. Trin. 2, 4, 123:
saxum tumidis submersum tunditur olim Fluctibus, etc.,Verg. A. 5, 125; id. ib. 8, 391:
ut pueris olim dant crustula blandi Doctores,Hor. S. 1, 1, 25 Orell.:
ut calceus olim, Si pede major erit, subvertet, si minor, uret,id. Ep. 1, 10, 42; id. C. 4, 4, 5:
parentis olim si quis impiā manu Senile guttur fregerit,id. Epod. 3, 1:
ut olim Amisso dubiae rege vagantur apes,Ov. F. 3, 555:
color oris erat, qui frondibus olim Esse solet seris,id. ib. 6, 149; id. M. 14, 429:
an quid est olim homini salute melius?ever, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 128:
vestra meos olim si fistula dicat amores,if ever, Verg. E. 10, 34.—
2 Now for a long time, this good while, long ago (mostly post-Aug.;
not in Cic.): olim non librum in manus sumpsi: olim nescio, quid sit otium,Plin. Ep. 8, 9, 1:
audio quid veteres olim moneatis amici,Juv. 6, 346:
nullas mihi epistulas mittas,Plin. Ep. 1, 11, 1:
provisum erat,Tac. A. 13, 15:
corruptis moribus,id. ib. 14, 15:
olim jam nec perit quicquam mihi nec acquiritur,Sen. Ep. 77, 3.—
II Of the future, one day, on a future day, at a future time, hereafter (rare but class.): audire edepol lubet. St. Primum omnium olim terra quom proscinditur, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 122:
utinam coram tecum olim, potius quam per epistulas!Cic. Att. 11, 4, 1:
exoriare aliquis ultor...Nunc, olim, quocumque dabunt se tempore vires,Verg. A. 4, 625; cf.:
non si male nunc et olim Sic erit,Hor. C. 2, 10, 17:
forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit,Verg. A. 1, 203:
numquid ego illi Imprudens olim faciam simile?Hor. S. 1, 4, 137:
vir nominabitur,Quint. 10, 1, 104.