pauculus Latin · revision 33928

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *peh₂u-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pauculus''' (feminine paucula, neuter pauculum); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|paucus|-ulus|t1=few]], a diminutive.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan traces [[m|la|paucus]] to [[itc-pro|*pauko-|t=few]] and [[ine-pro|*peh₂u-]], the root of [[m|la|parvus|t=small]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL reads it from Plautus, Cato and Terence on.^(TLL) In the ''Truculentus'' a speaker promises to make someone admit within a very few days that he is a tough man.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is usually plural and means very few, only a small number, as in Plautus,^(OLD 2012) or a few: Plautus has ''verbīs pauculīs'', "in a few words", Cato speaks of a very few friends, and Terence has someone say a few things.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In the singular it means a little, not very much: Apuleius has ''post pauculum tempus'', "after a short while".^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short call it mostly ante- and post-classical.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The glosses explain it as ''paucissimus'', "very few".^(TLL)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a few days and a few words.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato of a very few friends.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)

+ * c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius of a short while.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(plural)'' Very [[m|en|few]], only a few; a few.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(singular)'' Very little, not much.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[paucus]]

+ * [[paulus]]

+ * [[pauxillus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}