dūdum, adv. temp. [diu-dum, it is some time since; cf. Don. Ter. And. 3, 4, 3; Prisc. p. 1018 P. Hence].
- I. A short time ago, a little while ago (in Plaut. and Ter. freq., and repeatedly in Cicero’s philos. writings and letters, and in Vergil; elsewh., except in the compound jamdudum, very rare; not in Caes.; cf. also diu, pridem): quid ille revortitur, qui dudum properare se aibat, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 29; 1, 1, 231; 2, 1, 73; 3, 2, 35; id. Trin. 2, 4, 29 et saep.; Ter And. 3, 4, 12; id. Heaut. 3, 3, 34 et saep.; Cic. Tusc. 1, 31, 76; id. de Or. 2, 65, 262; id. Att. 11, 24; Verg. A. 5, 650; Stat. Th. 1, 670.
- B. Before, formerly.
- a. Opp. nunc: nunc assentatrix scelesta est, dudum adversatrix erat, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 100; id. Men. 5, 5, 33; 5, 1, 29: etiam si dudum fuerat ambiguom hoc mihi, nunc non est, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 26 al.; id. And. 4, 1, 29; 5, 1, 5; id. Eun. 4, 4, 16; Cic. Brut. 36, 138; Verg. A. 2, 726; 12, 632.
- b. Opp. nunc demum, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 78; cf. id. Epid. 3, 4, 22; id. Mil. 2, 4, 52.
- c. Without such oppos. particles, Plaut. Epid. 5, 1, 54; id. Truc. 4, 3, 29; Ter. Ph. 2, 4, 19; Cic. Brut. 72, 252; Verg. A. 10, 599: quid tu me sic salutas, quasi dudum non videris, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 52 (dub. Ussing ad loc.).
- C. In Plaut. connected with ut or cum, to denote immediately past or present time, just as: nam ut dudum hinc abii, accessi ad adolescentes in foro, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 18; cf. id. Aul. 4, 8, 5; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 33: scilicet qui dudum tecum venit, cum pallam mihi Detulisti, just now, id. Men. 2, 3, 41; cf. ib. 5, 1, 1.
Less freq. without these conjunctions: is se ad portum dixerat Ire dudum, just now, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 135, ed. Ritschl.
- II. To designate a remoter past, only in two combinations.
- 1. Haud dudum, not long ago, i. e. just now, = modo: To. E Persia ad me allatae modo sunt istae, a meo domino. Do. Quando? To. Haud dudum, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 29.
- 2. Quam dudum, how long: vide quam dudum hic asto et pulto! id. Stich. 2, 1, 38; Ter. And. 5, 2, 9; id. Eun. 4, 4, 30: Al. Qui non abiisti, ita ut dudum dixeras? Am. Dudum? Quam dudum istuc factum’st? Al. Temptas; jam dudum, modo, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 59.