ὀλίγος [ῐ], η, ον, later
ὀλίος (which see), of Size,
little, small, frequently in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀλίγῃ ὀπί with
small, low voice, [
Refs]; of stature,[
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; of Space, ὀ. χῶρος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; of Time, χρόνος [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
2) sometimes in a sense between that of Size and Quantity, ὀ. δόσις [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
not copious, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὑποστάσιες ὀλίγαι
slight sediments, [
Refs]; ὀ. καὶ οὐδέν
little or nothing, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
3) of Degree, ὀ. καὶ μέγας
of low and high
degree, [
Refs 7th c.BC+]
4)
weak, ἀθυμοτέρη καὶ ὀλιγωτέρη φύσις [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II) of Number,
few, or of Quantity,
little, not in [
Refs 8th c.BC+], frequently in
Attic dialect, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], but rare in Trag, as ὀλίγα κακά [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν ὀ. δυναστεία, αἱ διὰ τῶν ὀ. δυναστεῖαι, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2) with
infinitive, ὀλίγους. στρατιῇ τῇ Μήδων συμβαλεῖν
too few to engage, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III)
neuter ὀλίγον as
adverb,
a little, slightly, little, with Verbs, ὀ. παρακλίνας [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
III.2) with
comparative adjectives, ὀλίγον προγενέστερος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀ. τι πρότερον, variant for{ὀλίγῳ}, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; but ὀλίγῳ is more frequently in Prose, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV) special Phrases:
IV.1) ὀλίγου δεῖν
almost (see. δεῖ II); ὀλίγου ἐδέησε καταλαβεῖν wanted
but little of overtaking, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] alone,
within a little, allbut, almost, ὀλίγου σεκύνες διεδηλήσαντο [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
close upon [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀ. ἦλθεν ἑλεῖν[
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
IV.2) δι᾽ ὀλίγου
at a short distance, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; for (during)
a short time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; within or after
a short time, [
Refs]; but
IV.2.b) δι᾽ ὀλίγων
in few words, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.3) ἐν ὀλίγῳ (χώρῳ is added in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
in a small space, within small compass, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; κυκλωθέντων ἐν ὀ.[
Refs 4th c.BC+]; also ἐν ὀ. (i.e. χρόνῳ)
for a brief time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also,
in a short time, quickly, ἔγνων καὶ περὶ τῶν ποιητῶν ἐν ὀ. τοῦτο [
NT+5th c.BC+]
IV.3.b) ἐν ὀλίγοις
one among few, i.e.
exceedingly, remarkably, ποταμὸς ἐν ὀ. μέγας [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently in later writers, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]
IV.4) ἐξ ὀλίγου
at short notice, suddenly, ἐξ ὀ. καὶ δι᾽ ὀργῆς [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.5) ἐς ὀλίγον, like{παρ᾽ ὀλίγον},
within a little, ἐς ὀ. ἀφίκετο τὸ στράτευμα νικηθῆναι [
Refs]
IV.6) ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον
for a short time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
a little at a time, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
a little way on, near the beginning, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
IV.7) κατ᾽ ὀλίγον
by little and little, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: but the
adjective frequently takes the gender and number of its
substantive, κατ᾽ ὀλίγους [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὗτοι κατ᾽ ὀλίγους γινόμενοι ἐμάχοντο fought
few at a time, in small parties, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατ᾽ ὀλίγον μαχεῖται (i.e. τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν) [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.8) μετ᾽ ὀλίγον τούτων
shortly after, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.9) παρ᾽ ὀλίγον
with little to spare, only just, ἀπέφυγες [
Refs 5th c.BC+];
to within a short distance of, παρ᾽ ὀ. ἦλθε. ἐκπεσεῖν [
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; but
IV.9.b) παρ᾽ ὀ. ποιεῖσθαι hold of
small account, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.10) σὺν ὀλίγοις, ={ἐν ὀλίγοις, ἐπαινεθῆναι} [
Refs 1st c.AD+]
V) regular
adverb ὀλίγως is rare, [
NT+2nd c.AD+]
VI) Comparison:
VI.1) the
comparative is commonly supplied by μείων, ἥσσων, or ἐλάσσων (which see); the older form ὀλείζων (from *ὀλειγ-yων) is found in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; so in
Attic dialect Inscrr, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in Alexandrian Poets, [
Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἐς ὀλίζονας ἀστέρας ἄρκτου poetical cited in [
Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ὀλιζότερος is found in [
Refs 3rd c.AD+], compare ὀλιζό; ὀλιγώτερος is found in [
Refs 5th c.BC+] (with the sense
weaker, see[
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
VI.2)
superlative ὀλίγιστος, η, ον, always of Number or Quantity, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀλιγίστου,
superlative of ὀλίγου (cf. IV. I),
very nearly, [
Refs 5th c.AD+]; ὀλίγιστον as
adverb,
least, very little, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
at least, [
Refs]; ἐν ὀλιγίστῳ διασαφῶν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]