πρίν,
adverb and
conjunction,
before, until. [πρῐν 19 [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρῑν in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; once written
πρείν, [
Refs], but
πρίν [
Refs]; Trag. and Comedy texts always πρῐν (πρίν γ᾽ must be read in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
A)
adverb of Time,
before, either in the sense of
sooner or in that of
formerly, erst (implying duration up to a certain time):
I) of future time, with
future Indic, πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: with Subj. =
future, πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: with Opt. and κεν, πρίν κεν ἀνιηθεὶς σὴν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἵκοιο [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II) of past time,
II.1)
formerly, once, πρὶν μέν μοι ὑπέσχετο, νῦν δὲ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.2)
formerly (up to a certain point),
before, in this sense frequently with
Article, τὸ πρίν γ᾽ ἐκέκαστο [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
participle γενόμενος, τὰ π. πελώρια (i.e. γενόμενα) the giants
of old, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; τοῦ π. Αἰγέως Aegeus
gone before, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: with
participle expressed, τὸ π. γενόμενον τέρας [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3)
hitherto, π. μέν. [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
until that time, and so
meanwhile, [
Refs]
II.4) sometimes followed by
genitive, π. ὥρας [
LXX+5th c.BC+]; π. τοῦ βλέψαι, π. τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν, [
LXX+2nd c.AD+]; also πρὶν οὗ with
infinitive, [
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; with
indicative, Test. cited in [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
B)
conjunction before, ere: frequently following an antecedent clause with adverbial π. (chiefly in
Epic dialect), or its equivalents πρότερον, πρόσθεν, πάρος (
poetry), especially with
negative, οὐδὲ π, π. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; preceded by φθάνω,[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; uncertain and perhaps always corrupt in
Attic dialect and [
Refs 5th c.BC+], but frequently in later Greek, [
LXX]
B.I) with
infinitive, the prevailing
construction in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.I) regularly
aorist,
B.I.a) after a positive clause, ναῖε δὲ Πήδαιον, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; after
negative questions which expect a positive answer, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I.b) after a
negative clause, οὐδ᾽ ὅ γε πρὶν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀπώσει, πρίν γ᾽ ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; but Inf. is found where π. precedes, π. ἰδεῖν δ᾽, οὐδεὶς μάντις [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; also after Verbs of fearing (the positive being the thing dreaded), ὅταν. δεδίωσι μὴ πρότερόν τι μάθῃς, π. τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς πραττομένοις [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; in unfulfilled conditions and wishes, οὔθ᾽ ὁ Πλούτωνος κύων οὔθ᾽ οὑπὶ κώπῃ ψυχοπομπὸς ἂν Χάρων ἔσχον π. εἰς φῶς σὸν καταστῆσαι βίον [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; otherwise not common, ὤφθην οὐδεπώποτε π. ταύτην τὴν συμφορὰν γενέσθαι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I.2) also
present, to convey a special sense of continuance, effort, or the like, 'before undertaking to', 'before proceeding to', π. ἐξοπλίζειν Ἄρη [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.I.3) also
perfect, after a
future, π. τόδ᾽ ἐξηντληκέναι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; after
present or
imperfect, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; with ἥκειν in
perfect sense, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II) with a finite Verb:
B.II.1) with Ind, chiefly
aorist: not in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] after both positive and
negative clauses, ἠλώμην, πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε. ἤγαγες [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
imperfect, οὐδ᾽ ὧς τοῦ θυμὸν. ἔπειθον, πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε δὴ θάλαμος πύκ᾽ ἐβάλλετο (
began to be hit) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
aorist,
B.II.1.a) after
negative clauses: of a fact in the past, οὐκ ἦν ἀλέξημ᾽ οὐδὲν, πρίν γ᾽ ἐγώ σφισιν ἔδειξα [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὣς. ἠξίωσαν νεώτερόν τι ποιεῖν ἐς αὐτο᾽ν, πρίν γε δὴ αὐτοῖς. μηνυτὴς γίγνεται (historical
present =
aorist) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; as part of an unfulfilled condition, οὐκ ἂν κατέσχε δῆμον οὐδ᾽ ἐπαύσατο π. ἀνταράξας πῖαρ ἐξεῖλεν γάλα [
Refs 6th c.BC+]; after verbs implying a
negative, ἀμφιγνοεῖν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; also with
imperfect, οὔπω ᾔδει. π. ἐν τῷ κακῷ ἦν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.1.b) after positive clauses (both combined, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], with the sense
until, ἠγόμην δ᾽ ἀνὴρ ἀστῶν μέγιστος, πρίν μοι τύχη τοιάδ᾽ ἐπέστη [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; σπουδαὶ δὲ λόγων ἦσαν ἴσαι πως, πρὶν. πείθει (historical
present) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ περὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας κατελύθη (
negative idea) ὑπὸ ξυμφορῶν, πρὶν δὴ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τότε τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐποίησαν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.2) with Subj. only after
negatives or equivalent of
negative, ={ἕως} or ἢν μή (in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ καταδυσόμεθ᾽, ἀχνύμενοί περ, πρὶν μόρσιμον ἦμαρ ἐπέλθῃ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
B.II.2.a) generally with
aorist, to express an action preceding the action of the
antecedent clause, the Verb in which is
future (or some equivalent of the
future) or
imperative, οὐ γαμέεται παρθένος οὐδεμία, πρὶν ἂν τῶν πολεμίων ἄνδρα ἀποκτείνῃ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; νῦν δ᾽ οὐδέν ἐστι τέρμα μοι προκείμενον μόχθων (the sense here is
future), πρὶν ἂν Ζεὺς ἐκπέσῃ τυραννίδος [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἔξει τῆσδε τῆς χώρας, πρὶν ἂν. στήσῃς ἄγων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μηδέν᾽ ὀλβίζειν π. ἀ᾽ν τέρμα τοῦ βίου περάσῃ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὶν ἀνάγκην τινὰ θεὸς ἐπιπέμψῃ [
Refs 5th c.BC+] in the next sentence,[
Refs 4th c.BC+]
B.II.2.b) less frequently (never in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
present subjunctive: μήπω π. ἂν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀΐῃς (the Verb has no
aorist) μύθων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.3) πρίν with Opt:
B.II.3.a) representing
subjunctive after historical tenses, οὐκ ἔθελεν φεύγειν π. πειρήσαιτ᾽ Ἀχιλῆος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε, as with
subjunctive,[
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.3.b) by assimilation, ὄλοιο μήπω π. μάθοιμι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰδείης (potential
optative). π. πειρηθείης [
Refs 6th c.BC+]
B.II.4) π. ἄν with
optative is doubtful, and (if not corrupt) due to the change required by
indirect speech, ἀπαγορευόντων τῶν φίλων τῶν ἐμῶν μὴ ἀποκτείνειν τὸν ἄνδρα, πρὶν ἄν ἐγὼ ἔλθοιμι [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
B.II.5) without a Verb, πρὶν ὥρη (i.e. γένηται) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]