Etymologically
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lesser

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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from the habit of terminating comparatives in -er.[2] It is now used only before a noun,[6] and followed by than it is obsolete (1579).[6] As an adverb it is from the 1590s and now generally poetic or obsolete, except in expressions such as lesser-known (1813) and the lesser of two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

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)