ōlim, adv. [ole, olle, ollus or olus, archaic for ille, with locative ending -im, = illo tempore, v. Brix ad Plaut. Trin. 523], lit., 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. 545; 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.