Quick Definition
πάλαι Adv of old, long ago
Strong's Definition
probably another form for 3825 (through the idea of retrocession); (adverbially) formerly, or (by relatively) sometime since; (elliptically as adjective) ancient
KJV Usage: any while, a great while ago, (of) old, in time past
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
advb. | παλαιόω
67.24 · Time · A Point of Time with Reference to Other Points of Time: Before, Long Ago, Now, At the Same Time, When, About, After
long ago, of long ago pertaining to a point of time preceding another point of time, with an interval of considerable length References to a point of time preceding another point of time may express a relationship to an event in the discourse or to the time of the discourse itself. In HEB 1:1 πάλαι[a] marks a point of time long before the actual writing of this Letter to the Hebrews. The same is true of ἔκπαλαι in 2PE 3:5. In some languages it is necessary to indicate clearly whether the interval is (1) between a prior time and the event mentioned in the discourse or (2) between a prior time and the discourse itself. For example, in HEB 1:1 it may be necessary to translate ‘long ago before now God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets’ or ‘long ago before now that I am writing ...’
67.141 · Time · Duration of Time with Reference to Some Unit of Time: During, In, While, Throughout
all this time, all that time a considerable and continuous extent of time in the past
67.22 · Time · A Point of Time with Reference to Other Points of Time: Before, Long Ago, Now, At the Same Time, When, About, After
already, already for some time a point of time preceding another point of time and implying completion, but with a longer interval of time than in the case of ἤδη (67.20) The use of πάλαι in MRK 15:44 would seem to suggest that Jesus‘ death had taken place considerably sooner than what Pilate had thought would happen. In trying to render the implication of πάλαι[c], it may be possible to translate MRK 15:44 as ‘Pilate called the army officer and asked him if Jesus had indeed already died.’
1 It is possible that ἔκπαλαι[a] is somewhat more emphatic than πάλαι[a], but this cannot be determined from existing contexts.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πάλαι, ady. of time, fr. Hom. down; 1. of old: Heb. i. 1; (as adj.) former, 2 Pet.i.9. [πάλαι properly designates the past not like πρίν and πρότερον relatively, i. 6. with a reference, more or less explicit, to some other time (whether past, pres., or fut.), but simply and absolutely.] 2. long ago: Mt. xi. 21; Lk. x. 13; Jude 4; so also of time just past, Mk. xv. 44 [ A. V. any while] (where L Tr txt. WH txt. ἤδη); 2 Co. xii. 19 LT Tr WH ΓΗ. V. all this time], (so in Hom. Od. 20, 293; Joseph. antt. 14, 15, 4).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πάλαι palai 6x
of old, long ago, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Heb. 1:1; Jude 4; οἱ πάλαι, old, former, 2 Pet. 1:9; some time since, already, Mk. 15:44
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πάλαι, adv. of time,
[in LXX: Is 48:5, 7 (מֵאָז), etc.;]
long ago, of old, in time past (denoting past time absolutely, as πρότερον relatively): Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13, He 1:1, Ju 4; as adj., c. art., II Pe 1:9; of time just past, Mk 6:47 (WH, mg.), 15:44 (WH, mg., R, txt.); c. durat. praes. (RV, all this time), II Co 12:19.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πάλαι, ““long ago”: P Hib I. 4613 (B.c. 258) ἔδει δὲ πάλαι τὰ ἐνέχυρα αὐτῶν ὧδε εἶναι, “‘ their securities ought to have been here long ago ” (Edd.), P Oxy IX. 12198 (iii/A.D.) ὃ καὶ σὺ ἐπίστασαι ἔτι πάλαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ‘ which also you know long since from his father,” P Lond 113.132 (vi/A.D.) (=I. p. 201) πρὸς τοῖς ἤδη πάλαι δοθεῖσιν, ‘in addition to those (sc. monies) already given long ago.” In 2 Cor 1219 πάλαι with durative present = “all this time.” For the comp. παλαίτερον, see PSI IV. 349° (B.c. 254-3) ἀπεστάλκαμεν δὲ περὶ τούτου παλαίτερον εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν πρὸς ᾿Απολλώνιον. exx. will suffice—P Ryl II. 1257 (A.p. 28-9) τειχαρίων παλαιῶ(ν), “old walls,” BGU IV. 109519 (a.p. 57) περὶ δὲ τοῦ φοίνικος παλαιὸν οὐχ εὕραμεν... τὰ δὲ νῆα (/. νέα! ἐν χερσὶ γέγοναι, where dates which had been gathered for some time are contrasted with new, freshly gathered ones, ? Oxy VIIT.1159%° (late iii/A.D.) τὸ τυλάριον τ[ὸ] παλαιὸν τὸ ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ ἄνω, “the old cushion that is up in the diningroom,” 26. XII. 149417 (early iv/A.p.) éd€(= alas κνίδια mahe(= at), ‘old jars of olives,” and Ostr 11294 (A.D. 207) olvov πίαλαιοῦ ἢ), ‘old wine,” cf. 1 Cor 57f See also P Ryl IL. 186? (late ii/A.p.) παλαιῶν ὀφλη(μάτων), ‘ancient fines,” i.e. arrears of fines incurred in lawsuits, and P Grenf IT. 77° (ili/iv A.D.) (= Selections, p. 120) παλαιοῦ νομίσματος, “old coinage,” i.e. prior to the new coinage of Diocletian. The adj. is used with reference to time in BGU III. 9039 (ii/A.D.) τοῖς παλαιοῖς χρόνοις. With 1 Jn 27 cf. P Giss I. 45 (A.D. 118) (= Chrest. I. p. grz) of land οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ παλαιοῦ πίρο]στάγματος γεωργεῖσθαι, and the Christian letter P Oxy XII. 14929 (ili/iv A.D.) κατὰ τὸ παλ[ζαιὸν] ἔθος. The compar. occurs in P Ryl IT. 2361! (a.p. 256) ἐχέτω δὲ τὰ παλαιότερα μανδάκια, ‘let them have the older bundles,” and adverbially in PSI IV. 3495 (B.c. 254-3) ἀπεστάλκαμεν δὲ περὶ τούτου παλαίτερον (‘‘a long time ago”).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πάλαι (palai) — of old. πάλαι [ᾰ], adverb long ago, π. οὔ τι νέον γε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; π. ποτέ once upon a time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]present of an act lasting to the present, ὁρῶ.. π. I have long seen, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἰχνεύω π.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; but, π. ποτ᾽ ὄντες ye who were long ago, [Refs]: also with perfect, τέθνηχ᾽ ὑμῖν π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]imperfect of an act lasting to a past time, ἔχεν π. had long been holding it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
2. like an adjective with Article and Noun, οἱ π. φῶτες men of old, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ καινὰ τοῖς π. τεκμαίρεται[Refs 4th c.BC+]; οἱ π. the ancients, opposed to οἱ νῦν, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. before, opposed to the present, sometimes of time just past, ἠμὲν π. ἠδ᾽ ἔτι καὶ νῦν [Refs 8th c.BC+]: hence, not long ago, just now, like{ἄρτι}, οἱ π. λόγοι [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ π. λόγος the reason just given, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but opposed to ἄρτι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]