paucus Latin · revision 3491

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Livius Andronicus|origins=ine-pro *peh₂u-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈpau̯.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpaːu̯.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''paucus''' (feminine pauca, neuter paucum, comparative paucior, superlative paucissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*pauko-|t=few]], [[inh|ine-pro|*peh₂u-|t=few, small]], with the suffix *-ko-.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The same root is in [[parvus]] “small”, [[pauper]] “poor” and [[paulus|alt=paullus]] “little”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Cognate with [[grc|παῦρος|tr=paûros|t=little, few]], [[got|𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹|tr=fawai|t=few]] and [[ang|fēawe|t=few]], the source of [[en|few]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Livius Andronicus onwards.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) In Plautus someone is told to “put it in a few words”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was mostly used in the plural ''pauci'', “few”, and the singular, meaning “small in amount”, is rare.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) As a noun, ''pauci'' were “few people”, often the few in power in a state, and ''pauca'' “a few words”, so ''paucis'' meant “briefly”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ''Inter paucos'' meant “unusually, uncommonly”.^(OLD 2012) It survives as Italian and Spanish ''poco'', French ''peu'' and Portuguese ''pouco'', and English ''paucity'' comes from its derivative ''paucitas''.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 280/260 – before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ''pauca'' of a few words.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius contrasts the many hostile with the few well-wishers.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''paucity'' comes from its derivative ''paucitas''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(plural)'' Few.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''inter paucos'': uncommonly, unusually.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(singular)'' Small in amount, little.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural)'' A few, some.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''pauci'' ''(as a noun)'': few people; the few (in power).^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ # ''pauca'' ''(as a noun)'': few things; a few words, ''paucis'': briefly.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pauca]]

+ * [[paucī]]

+ * [[pauciens]]

+ * [[pauciloquium]]

+ * [[paucitās]]

+ * [[pauculus]]

+ * [[perpaucus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[parvus]]

+ * [[pauper]]

+ * [[en|few]]

+ * [[en|paucity]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}