nē-dum,
I conj. (lit. while not), by no means, much less, still less, not to speak of (class.), used to indicate that whereas a certain thing is not, another thing can still less be.
A With a preceding negation: satrapes si siet Amator, numquam sufferre ejus sumptus queat: Nedum tu possis, Ter. Heaut. 452: optimis temporibus nec P. Popillius, nec Q. Metellus vim tribuniciam sustinere potuerunt, nedum his temporibus sine vestrā sapientiā salvi esse possimus, Cic. Clu. 35, 95; id. Planc. 37, 90: nulla simulacra urbibus suis, nedum templis, sinunt, Tac. H. 5, 5: ne voce quidem incommoda, nedum ut ulla vis fieret, Liv. 3, 14 fin. —With vix or aegre in the place of the preceding negative: vix in ipsis tectis et oppidis frigus infirmā valetudine vitatur: nedum in mari, Cic. Fam. 16, 8, 2; id. Agr. 2, 35, 97: puerum vixdum libertatem, nedum dominationem modice laturum, Liv. 24, 4, 1: et aegre inermem tantam multitudinem, nedum armatam, sustineri, Liv. 6, 7, 3.—
B Without a preceding negation, which, however, lies in the thought expressed: erat enim multo domicilium hujus urbis aptius humanitati tuae, quam tota Peloponnesus, nedum Patrae, Cic. Fam. 7, 28, 1: quippe secundae res sapientium animos fatigant: nedum illi corruptis moribus victoriae temperarent, Sall. C. 11, 8: Tac. A. 13, 20.—
II Transf. (post-Aug.), affirmatively, not to say, much more : adulationes etiam victis Macedonibus graves, nedum victoribus, much more should they prove victors , Liv. 9, 18, 4: Quintius, quem armorum etiam pro patriā satietas teneret, nedum adversus patriam, id. 7, 40; 45, 29; 26, 26: satis mihi jam videbaris animi habere, etiam adversus solida mala, nedum ad istas umbras malorum, quibus, etc., Sen. Ep. 99, 3; Quint. 12, 1, 39: ornamenta etiam legioni, nedum militi, satis multa, Val. Max. 3, 2, 26.—So, by transposition, beginning the sentence (very rare): nedum hominum humilium, sed etiam amplissimorum virorum, not to speak of, I need not say , Balb. et Opp. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 7, A, 1.