Lewis & Short

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dōnĕc, conj. [shortened from ante- and post-class. form dōnĭcum, from old dative doni (dioni; for root, etc., v. dies) and conj. cum; prop. at the time of day when; form donicum, Liv. And., Cato and Plaut. ap. Charis. p. 178 P.; Cato, R. R. 146, 2; 149, 2; 161, 3; Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 19; id. Capt. 2, 2, 89; id. Most. 1. 2, 34; id. Ps. 4, 7, 72; id. Truc. 1, 1, 18; Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 692 P.; Nep. Ham. 1, 4.
In the Inscr. of Orell. 4370 DONIQVIES is i. q. DONIQUE IS, and donique = donicum; so, donique, Lucr. 2, 1116; 5, 708 Lachm.].
Donec denotes the relation of two actions in time,

  1. I. As contemporaneous, as long as, while, during the time in which; or,
  2. II. As in immediate succession, until, up to the time at which (synonymous with dum, I. B. and II.—in the ante-class. and postAug. periods freq.; four times in Cic. only in signif. II. with indic.; not in Caes.).
  1. I. As long as, while (so perh. not till the Aug. period).
          1. (α) With indic.: neque dulces amores Sperne, puer, Donec virenti canities abest, Hor. C. 1, 9, 17: donec gratus eram tibi, etc. … Persarum vigui rege beatior … Donec non alia magis Arsisti, etc. … Romanà vigui clarior Iliā, id. ib. 3, 9, 1, and 5; Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 53; Liv. 2, 49; 6, 13; Tac. A. 14, 50; id. H. 4, 12; id. Or. 8; 40 al.: donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 5.
          2. (β) With subj.: (elephanti) nihil sane trepidabant, donec continenti velut ponte agerentur, Liv. 21, 28 fin.; Tac. A. 1, 51: edixit ne quis militis, donec in castris esset, bona possideret, etc., Liv. 2, 24; 4, 2; 60; 21, 10; 25, 11; Tac. H. 4, 35; id. A. 15, 64 al.
  2. II. Until, till at length (so in all periods).
          1. (α) With indic. (cf. Zumpt, Gr. § 575): ne quoquam exurgatis, donec a me erit signum datum, Plaut. Bacch, 4, 4, 106: haud desinam, donec perfecero hoc, Ter. Ph. 2, 3, 73; cf. ib. 4, 1, 24: neque tamen finis . . . fiebat, donec populus senatum coëgit, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 40, § 87; id. Tull. 6, 14: hic regnabitur … donec regina sacerdos geminam partu dabit Ilia prolem, Verg. A. 1, 273; id. G. 4, 413 et saep.: neque credebam Donec Sosia fecit sibi uti crederem, Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 51.
            So with perf., Lucr. 2, 1130; Liv. praef. 3, 48; 23, 31; Prop. 1, 9, 29; Verg. E. 6, 85; id. A. 2, 630; Hor. S. 1, 3, 103; id. Ep. 1, 10, 35 et saep.: me attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo abluero, Verg. A. 2, 720: socii consurgere tonsis … Donec rostra tenent siccum, etc., id. ib. 10, 301; cf. id. ib. 268; Val. Fl. 8, 290; Liv. 1, 54 fin.
          2. (β) With subj.: Actia pugna refertur, donec alterutrum velox Victoria fronde coronet, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 63.
            So in the praes., Quint. 1, 1, 33; Tac. A. 2, 6; id. H. 5, 6; id. G. 1; 20 al.
            In the imperf., Verg. A. 11, 860; Sen. Ep. 70; Quint. 11, 3, 6; Tac. H. 1, 13; Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 6: trepidationis aliquantum edebant, donec quietem ipse timor fecisset, Liv. 21, 28 fin.
            So with pluperf., Liv. 45, 7 fin.
          3. (γ) Ellipt. without a verb: neque quisquam hominem conspicatu’st donec in navi super, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 82; cf. in foll. b.
          4. (γ) .
        1. b. With usque, usque adeo, usque eo, eo usque, in tantum.
          1. (α) With indic.: ibo odorans usque donec persecutus volpem ero vestigiis, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 114; id. Rud. 3, 4, 11; Ter. Ad. 4, 6, 6: id. aliquoties in die facito usque adeo donec sal desiverit tabescere biduum, Cato R. R. 88, 1; so id. ib. § 2; Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 40; Ter. And. 4, 1, 38: usque eo timui, ne, etc. … donec ad reiciendos judices venimus, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6 fin.: eo usque me vivere vultis, donec haud ambiguum regem mea morte faciam, Liv. 40, 8 fin.: (humum) in tantum deprimere, donec altitudinis mensuram datam ceperit, Col. 3, 13, 9.
          2. (β) With subj.: usque Sessuri, donec cantor "Vos plaudite" dicat, Hor. A. P. 155: ni istunc invitassitis Usque adeo, donec, qua domum abeat nesciat, Peristis ambo, Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 32: nec eo usque trahatur spiritus donec deficiat, Quint. 11, 3, 53.
          3. (γ) Ellipt. without a verb usque illud visumst Pamphilo ne utiquam grave, Donec jam in ipsis nuptiis, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 51; cf. above, a.
          4. (γ) .
    1. B. With negatives, donec often limits the time within which something is done or to be done, without implying that it is done or to be done after the limit; Engl., till, before, within a certain time: moveri vetuisse puerum, donec experrectus sit, Liv. 1, 39, 2; Hor. C. 3, 5, 45: si respexis, donicum ego te jussero, te dedam, etc., Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 19; id. Most. 1, 2, 35; Tac. A. 2, 82. Cf. Hand, Turs. II. 291-299.

dōnĭcum, conj., v. dōncc init.