paucus
Latin
Etymology
From Proto-Italic *paukos, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂u-kos, from *peh₂w- (“few, small”) + *-kos (whence -cus). See also Old Saxon fā (“few”), Old High German fao, fō (“few, little”), Old Norse fár (“few”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃 (faus, “few”) for the former element.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈpau̯.kus/, [ˈpäu̯kʊs̠]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈpau̯.kus/, [ˈpäːu̯kus]
Adjective
paucus (feminine pauca, neuter paucum, comparative paucior, superlative paucissimus); first/second-declension adjective
- few, little
- Synonyms: modicus, parcus, perpaucus
- Antonym: nimius
Usage notes
- Usually plural; very rare in the singular. Mostly pertaining to quantity.
Declension
First/second-declension adjective.
Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | paucus | pauca | paucum | paucī | paucae | pauca | |
Genitive | paucī | paucae | paucī | paucōrum | paucārum | paucōrum | |
Dative | paucō | paucō | paucīs | ||||
Accusative | paucum | paucam | paucum | paucōs | paucās | pauca | |
Ablative | paucō | paucā | paucō | paucīs | |||
Vocative | pauce | pauca | paucum | paucī | paucae | pauca |
Derived terms
- paucitās
- pauculus
- pauxillus
- pauquinus
Related terms
- parvus
- paulus
- pauper
- puer
Descendants
- ⇒ Balkan Romance: (possibly)
- Aromanian: putsãn
- Romanian: puțin
- Dalmatian:
- pauc
- Italo-Romance:
- Corsican: pocu
- Italian: poco
- Neapolitan: poco
- Sicilian: pocu
- North Italian:
- Friulian: pôc
- Istriot: puoco
- Romansch: pauc, poc, pach
- Venetian: puòco, poco
- Gallo-Romance:
- Franco-Provençal: pou
- French: peu
- Occitano-Romance:
- Catalan: poc
- Occitan: pauc
- Ibero-Romance:
- Asturian: pocu
- Galician: pouco
- Portuguese: pouco
- Spanish: poco
- Insular Romance:
- Sardinian: pacu (Nuorese), pagu (Logudorese, Campidanese)
- Ancient borrowings:
- → Albanian: pak
- Later borrowings:
- → English: pauce (archaic)
References
- “paucus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “paucus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- paucus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 1,127/1
- Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to give some one a few days for reflection: paucorum dierum spatium ad deliberandum dare
- the addition of a few years: accessio paucorum annorum
- to choose one from a large number of instances: ex infinita exemplorum copia unum (pauca) sumere, decerpere (eligere)
- to give a brief exposition of the geography of Africa: Africae situm paucis exponere
- to explain a matter briefly, in a few words (not paucis verbis): breviter, paucis explicare aliquid
- to explain a matter briefly, in a few words (not paucis verbis): rem paucis absolvere (Sall. Iug. 17. 2)
- to say only a few words: pauca dicere (pauca verba dicere only of the orator)
- to be satisfied with a little: paucis, parvo contentum esse
- a word with you: paucis te volo
- oligarchy: paucorum dominatio or potentia
- to obtain many (few) votes in a century or tribe: multa (pauca) puncta in centuria (tribu) aliqua ferre
- in short; to be brief: ut paucis (rem) absolvam
- in short; to be brief: ut paucis (brevi, breviter) complectar
- to give some one a few days for reflection: paucorum dierum spatium ad deliberandum dare
- “paucus” on page 1,312 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)