# paucus
## Latin
### Etymology

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: /ˈpau̯.kus/, [ˈpäu̯kʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈpau̯.kus/, [ˈpäːu̯kus]

### Adjective

paucus (feminine pauca, neuter paucum, comparative paucior, superlative paucissimus); first/second-declension adjective
* few, little
    Synonyms: modicus, parcus, perpaucus
    Antonym: nimius

#### Usage notes

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

#### Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

#### 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
** Romansch: 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

### References

* ↑ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “paucus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 450-1

### 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, 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)