paucus

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w-

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ukos

Proto-Italic *paukos

Latin paucus

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 Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈpau̯.kʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈpaːu̯.kus]

Adjective

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

1. few, little

   Synonyms: modicus, parcus, perpaucus

   Antonym: nimius

   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 21.57.9:

     Paucorum inde dierum quiete sumpta et uixdum satis percurato uolnere, ad Victumulas oppugnandas ire pergit.

     • 1905 translation by Canon William Masfen Roberts

       After taking only a few days' rest, before his wound was thoroughly healed Hannibal proceeded to attack Victumviae.

Usage notes

• Usually plural; very rare in the singular. Mostly pertaining to quantity.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	paucus	pauca	paucum		paucī	paucae	pauca
genitive	paucī	paucae	paucī		paucōrum	paucārum	paucōrum
dative	paucō	paucae	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
• pauquinus
• pauxillus

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
  • Romansh: pauc, poc, pach
  • Venetan: puòco, poco
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Franco-Provençal: pou
  • French: peu
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: poc
  • Occitan: pauc
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Asturian: pocu
  • Mirandese: pouco
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: pouco
    • Galician: pouco
    • Portuguese: pouco
  • Spanish: poco
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: pacu (Nuorese), pagu (Logudorese, Campidanese)
• Ancient borrowings:
  • → Albanian: pak
• Later borrowings:
  • → English: pauce

Further reading

• “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^[1], 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
    
• “paucus” on page 1,312 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)