# πρίν
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* πρείν (preín)

### Etymology

Appears to be related to πρό (pró), Latin prior, priscus and Lithuanian prie, but the exact formation is uncertain. Perhaps from an old locative *pr-i of Proto-Indo-European *pró (“forward”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /prín/ → /prin/ → /prin/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /prín/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /prin/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /prin/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /prin/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /prin/

### Adverb

πρῐ́ν or πρῑ́ν • (prín or prī́n)
* before, sooner, formerly
** (of future time, with future indicative)
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.29
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.283
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.198
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.551
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 3.117
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 11.330
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 14.155
*** 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 1076
*** 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 1112
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.800
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.250
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.413
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.254
** (of past time) formerly, once
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.112
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.19
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 23.827
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.724
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 3.408
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.54
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.105
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 16.208
*** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 443
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.129
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 75E
*** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 151
*** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 69
*** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 1224
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.62
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.37
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 547C
*** 500 BCE – 400 BCE, Bacchylides, Collected Works 12.114
*** 500 BCE – 400 BCE, Bacchylides, Collected Works 15.13
*** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 4.43
*** 75 CE, Josephus, The Jewish War 1.6.1
*** 100 CE – 200 CE, Theodotion, Susanna 42
*** 160 CE – 210 CE, Sextus Empiricus, Against the Mathematicians 9.371
*** 86 CE – 160 CE, Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.18.6
*** 160 CE – 210 CE, Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism 7.162
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Tobit 14.15
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Stephanus 2 21

#### Descendants

* Greek: πριν (prin)

### Conjunction

πρῐ́ν or πρῑ́ν • (prín or prī́n)
* before that, before
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.98
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.481
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 19.475
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.355
** 416 BCE, Euripides, Herakles 605
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.348
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 8.453
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 19.586
** 391 BCE, Aristophanes, Assemblywomen 620
** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 17
** 341 BCE, Demosthenes, Third Philippic 61
** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 199
** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 62C
** 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, Against Timarchus 10
** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 1
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 5.2.9
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 17.9
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.4.23
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 1.1.10
** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 2.92
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.128
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.219
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 16.322
** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Against the Stepmother for Poisoning 29
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.79
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.104
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.97
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 8.12
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.1.21
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 2.4.25
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.288
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 22.266
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.136
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.165
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 5.61
** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Against Andocides 11
** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Panegyricus 19
** 396 BCE – 323 BCE, Lycurgus of Athens, Collected Works 128
** 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, On the Embassy 132
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.4.23
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.5.1
** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Genesis 29.26
** (with infinitive)
*** (with aorist)
**** (after a positive clause)
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.172
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 8.453
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 16.322
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.210
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.668
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.465
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.245
***** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 2.92
***** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 3.9
***** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Nemean Ode 8.19
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.119
***** 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 712
***** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1539
***** 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 120
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 396
***** 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 281
***** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 258
***** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, On the Murder of Herodes 67
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.125
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.1.7
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 350B
***** 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 1069
***** 413 BCE, Euripides, Ion 524
***** c. 440 BCE, Euripides, Rhesus 684
***** 405 BCE, Aristophanes, The Frogs 481
**** (after a negative clause)
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.98
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 19.423
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.128
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.747
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 1419
***** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 8
***** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, On the Property of Aristophanes 28
***** 349 BCE, Demosthenes, Third Olynthiac 12
***** 396 BCE – 323 BCE, Lycurgus of Athens, Collected Works 135
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 8.1.38
***** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, To Philip 70
***** 480 BCE – 406 BCE, Euripides, Fragments 453.6
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 632
***** 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 362
***** c. 440 BCE, Euripides, Rhesus 61
***** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, On the Property of Aristophanes 55
***** 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 94
***** 416 BCE, Euripides, Herakles 605
***** 346 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Peace 15
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 4.24
***** 470 BCE, Aeschylus, The Suppliants 772
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 769E
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.165
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.9
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.50
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 6.5.23
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 61A
*** (with present, conveying a sense of continuance)
**** 470 BCE, Aeschylus, The Suppliants 702
**** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1067
**** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 36
**** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 20
**** 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 577
**** 408 BCE, Euripides, Orestes 1095
**** 411 BCE, Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 380
**** 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 383
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.3
**** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 1
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.24
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 666A
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 2.4.25
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 1.2.40
*** (with perfect)
**** 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 79
**** 458 BCE, Euripides, Electra 1069
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.25
**** 408 BCE, Euripides, The Phoenician Women 1145
**** 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 1034
**** 422 BCE, Aristophanes, The Wasps 1156
**** 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 375
**** 425 BCE, Aristophanes, Lysistrata 322
**** 405 BCE, Aristophanes, The Frogs 1185
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.1.21
**** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 164C
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 320A
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.116
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 5.10
** (with a finite verb)
*** (with indicative, chiefly aorist)
**** 7th–6th centuries BC, Homeric Hymn to Apollo 357
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 13.322
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 23.43
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.437
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.180
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.588
**** (after negative clauses)
***** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 481
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.45
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.132
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.101
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 5.61
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.79
***** 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 700
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.4.23
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.5.13
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 5.4.58
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedrus 266A
***** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians 12.5
***** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Meno 86D
***** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 165E
***** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Leptines 96
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.5.33
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.51
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.29
***** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Against the Stepmother for Poisoning 19
***** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 17
***** 341 BCE, Demosthenes, Third Philippic 61
**** (after positive clauses)
***** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 481
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.118
***** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 776
***** 424 BCE, Euripides, Hecuba 131
***** 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 1173
***** 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 1147
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.104
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.39
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.71
*** (with subjunctive, after negatives)
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Panegyricus 173
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.175
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.135
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.190
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.781
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.374
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.477
**** (with aorist, expressing an action preceding the action of the antecedent)
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.117
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.82
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.109
***** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 756
***** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 166
***** 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 177
***** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 909
***** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 48
***** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1041
***** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1529
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 2
***** 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 276
***** 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 680
***** 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 1145
***** 407 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 324
***** 413 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 19
***** 413 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 1302
***** 422 BCE, Aristophanes, The Wasps 920
***** 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 176
***** 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 230
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hiero 6.13
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.2.8
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 1.1.10
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.7.12
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedrus 228C
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laches 187E
***** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1529
***** 425 BCE, Aristophanes, Lysistrata 704
***** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 917
***** 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 619
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 742
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 965
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 608
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 946
***** 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 849
***** 408 BCE, Euripides, Orestes 1218
***** 408 BCE, Euripides, Orestes 1357
***** 391 BCE, Aristophanes, Assemblywomen 629
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.157
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.29
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 62C
***** 390 BCE – 322 BCE, Hyperides, In Defence of Euxenippus 4
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.19
***** 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 57B
***** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.10
***** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Against the Corn Dealers 4
***** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Panegyricus 16
***** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Nausimachus and Xenopeithes 24
**** (with present, rare)
***** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 1409
***** 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, Against Timarchus 10
***** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Against the Stepmother for Poisoning 29
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 2.2.8
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedrus 271C
*** (with optative)
**** (representing subjective after historical tenses)
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.580
***** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.488
***** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 551
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.22
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.4.14
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 6.5.19
***** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 1.2.2
***** 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Apology 36C
**** (by assimilation)
***** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 961
***** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 657
***** 6th century BC, Theognis of Megara, Elegies 126
***** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 799D
***** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 505
*** (with ἄν (án))
**** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, On the Murder of Herodes 34
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 2.3.48
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 2.4.18
*** (without a verb)
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 15.394

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πρίν”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1233-4

### Further reading

* “πρίν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “πρίν”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “πρίν”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* πρίν in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* πρίν in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* “πρίν”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* G4250 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
* Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited. before idem, page 69.ere idem, page 281.erst idem, page 281.formerly idem, page 339.previously idem, page 639.till idem, page 874.yore idem, page 997.
* “πρίν”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, 2011