lesser

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɛsə/ (UK); /ˈlɛsɚ/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English lasser, lesser, a double comparative, from less and the comparative suffix -er.^[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Smaller, less: the early 13th century in Etymonline,^[2] the 13th century in MWU;^[3] 1459 in the OED.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Johnson called it a barbarous corruption of less, formed by the vulgar from the habit of terminating comparatives in -er.^[2] It is now used only before a noun,^[6] and followed by than it is obsolete (1579).^[6] As an adverb it is from the 1590s and now generally poetic or obsolete, except in expressions such as lesser-known (1813) and the lesser of two evils.^[2] It is used for smaller kinds of plants and animals.^[7]

Timeline

• early 13th century – the adjective.^[2]
• 1590s – the adverb.^[2]
• 1813 – lesser-known.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Smaller in amount, value or importance, especially when comparing two things.
2. Of a smaller size than other similar kinds, as of plants or animals.

Word family

• lesser celandine
• lesser rorqual

Related words

• less
• fewer
• least
• lessen
• little

Usage notes

In Shetland dialect lesser was also a noun, less, a smaller amount.^[8]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)