sooner

sooner
adv.
See rather.

SOONER

Rather potius: citius: prius. Sooner than potius quam; citius quam; prius quam; also non tam cito ... quam (putting of course the epithet that is preferred after the quam; e.g. quem tu non tam cito rhetorem dixisses quam... πολιτικόν i.e. would sooner call a πολιτικός than a rhetorician): I would sooner die than etc. mori malo quam etc.

sooner:

I. Earlier: tempĕrius, mātūrius (v. EARLY): tempestīvius, Hor. Od. 4, 1, 9. Expr. also by prius ... quam, ante ... quam (v. BEFORE). Phr.: the s. the better (= as soon as possible, q. v.), quamprimum, primo quoque tempore s. die, Cic.: the lot that s. or later is destined to leap forth, serius ocius sors exitura, Hor. Od. 2, 3, 26: s. or later we hasten to one common abode, serius aut citius sedem properamus ad unam, Ov. M. 10, 33.

II. More quickly: expr. by compar. adv. (v. SOON, II.: QUICKLY, SPEEDILY). Phr.: no s. said than done, dictum ac factum or dictum factum (Gr. ἅμα ἔπος ἅμα ἔργον), Ter. Andr. 2, 3, 7: cf. dicto citius, Virg. Aen. 1, 142: Liv. 23, 47.

III. More willingly (= rather: q. v.): expr. by lĭbentius, pŏtius, măgis, etc. foll. by quam: or by some verb denoting preference (v. TO PREFER). In Cic. Off. 1, 18, we find even citius = potius: simly. in id. Tusc. 5, 27, 77, prius = potius.

IV. More easily:

1. ōcius: that nook of yours will s. produce pepper and frankincense than the grape, angulus iste feret piper et tus ocius uva, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 23.

2. făcĭlius: nothing is s. said, nil est dictu f., Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 70: and gen. by a compar. adv. (see also EASILY).