I. Lit., on the day before (class.; opp. postridie).— Constr. absol., with acc. of the day from which the reckoning was made, or with quam (class.); also, with gen. (class. only in the phrase pridie ejus diei).
(α).
Absol., Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 65: “cui cum pridie frequentes essetis assensi, postridie ad spem estis inanem pacis devoluti,” Cic. Phil. 7, 4, 14: “postero die tropaeum posuit, quo loco pridie pugnatum est,” Nep. Dat. 8, 3: “pridie asservata materia,” Plin. 18, 11, 26, § 104.—
(β).
With quam: “si hic pridie natus foret, quam hic est,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 91: “pridie quam ego Athenas veni,” Cic. Att. 5, 11, 6: “haec epistula est pridie data quam illa,” id. ib. 3, 8, 2.—
(γ).
With gen.: “pridie ejus diei,” on the day before this day, the day before, Caes. B. G. 1, 47: “insidiarum,” the day before the ambush, Tac. A. 15, 54: “Kalendarum,” Dig. 28, 1, 5.—
(δ).
With acc., designating the day (v. Madvig. § “230, obs. 1): pridie Idus,” Cic. Att. 13, 25, 2: “Compitalia,” id. ib. 2, 3, 3: “Quinquatrus,” id. ib. 9, 13, 2: “eum diem,” id. ib. 11, 23, 2: “Parilia,” Liv. 40, 2: “Circenses,” Suet. Calig. 55: “constitutam diem,” Just. 1, 10, 7: “nuptiarum diem, Fest. s. v. Regillis, p. 286 Müll.: vindemias,” Dig. 24, 3, 7: “aequinoctium autumnale,” ib. 43, 19, 1.—
II. Transf., the phrase pridie Kalendas (Nonas, etc.) is used as a subst.: “nos in Formiano esse volumus usque ad pridie Nonas Maias,” Cic. Att. 2, 11, 2: “ex ante diem III. Non. Jun. usque ad prid. Kal. Sept.,” id. ib. 3, 17, 1: “gignit id maxime arcturi exortus ex a. d. pridie Idus Septembris,” Plin. 11, 16, 15, § 41; cf.: EX. A. D. V. KAL. DEC. AD PR. KAL. JAN. SEXT., for six years, to the 31st December, Inscr. Orell. 594: litterarum datarum pridie Kal. Januar. suavem habuit recordationem clarissimi jurisjurandi, the 31st of December, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 22.—With an acc., not designating a day: “quod uxorem pridie sortitionem ductam postridie repudiasset,” Suet. Tib. 35 fin. Roth (Oud. sortitione).—
