I.comp. and sup.: mĭnor, mĭnĭmus.—Comp.: “volantum parviores,” Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 1, 26.— Sup.: rictus parvissimus, Varr. ap. Non. 456, 10: “parvissima corpora,” Lucr. 1, 615; 621; 3, 199: minerrimus pro minimo dixerunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 122 Müll.: “minimissimus,” Arn. 5, n. 8) [kindr. with paucus and Gr. παῦρος; cf., also, parum, parcus], little, small, petty, puny, inconsiderable (cf.: exiguus, minutus, brevis; in class. prose parvus is not used, like brevis, of stature, v. Auct. Her. 4, 33, 45).
I. Posit.: “in parvis aut mediocribus rebus,” Cic. de Or. 2, 20, 84: “quam parva sit terra, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 17, 26; cf. id. ib. 6, 16, 16: “commoda parva ac mediocria,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 1: “in parvum quendam et angustum locum concludi,” id. Leg. 1, 5, 17: “beneficium non parvum,” id. Caecin. 10, 26: “parvi pisciculi,” id. N. D. 2, 48, 123: “haec parva et infirma sunt,” id. Clu. 34, 94: “si parva licet componere magnis,” Verg. G. 4, 176: “merces,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 86: “sucus,” Plin. 21, 31, 105, § 178 et saep.: “liberi,” Cic. Rep. 2, 21, 37; “so of children: salutaria appetant parvi,” the little ones, id. Fin. 3, 5, 16: “parva soror,” Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 15; cf.: “memini quae plagosum mihi parvo Orbilium dictare,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 70: “operosa parvus Carmina fingo,” a little man, id. C. 4, 2, 31; Suet. Aug. 48: “a parvis didicimus: si in jus vocat, etc.,” when little, in childhood, Cic. Leg. 2, 4, 9: “puer in domo a parvo eductus,” from infancy, Liv. 1, 39 fin.—Of time, little, short, brief: “parvae consuetudinis Causa,” slight, short, Ter. And. 1, 1, 83; cf.: “in parvo tempore,” Lucr. 5, 106: “nox,” Luc. 4, 476: “vita,” id. 6, 806: “parvam fidem habere alicui,” Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 117: “hic onus horret, Ut parvis animis et parvo corpore majus,” Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 39: “homo parvo ingenio,” Plin. Ep. 6, 29: “parvum carmen,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 257: “hoc opus, hoc studium parvi properemus et ampli,” both small and great, id. ib. 1, 3, 28.—With ref. to value or consequence, little, small, low, mean, etc.: “meam erus esse operam deputat parvi pretii,” Ter. Hec. 5, 3, 1: “nil parvom aut humili modo, Nil mortale loquar,” Hor. C. 3, 25, 17: “et magnis parva mineris Falce recisurum simili te,” id. S. 1, 3, 122: “pretio parvo vendere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 60, § 134: “parvi sunt foris arma, nisi est consilium domi,” of little value, id. Off. 1, 22, 76: “parvi refert abs te jus dici diligenter, nisi, etc.,” it matters little, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 7, § 20.—Hence, parvi facere, aestimare, ducere, pendere, etc., to esteem lightly, care little for: “parvi ego illos facio,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 41: “parvi aestimo, si ego hic peribo,” id. Capt. 3, 5, 24: “quia parvi id duceret,” Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 24: nequam hominis ego parvi pendo gratiam, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 29.—So, in abl.: “signa abs te diligenter parvoque curata sunt,” Cic. Att. 1, 3, 2; so, “quanti emptus? parvo,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 156: “parvo stat magna potentia nobis,” Ov. M. 14, 493: “parvo contentus esse possum,” with little, Cic. Att. 12, 19, 1; cf.: “vivitur parvo bene,” Hor. C. 2, 16, 13: “possim contentus vivere parvo,” Tib. 1, 1, 25: “agricolae prisci, fortes parvoque beati,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 139: “necessarium est parvo assuescere,” Sen. Ep. 123, 3: parvo, as an abl. of measure, with comp. (rarely; “perh. not ante-Aug.): ita ut parvo admodum plures caperentur,” a very little more, Liv. 10, 45, 11: “parvo brevius,” Plin. 2, 67, 67, § 168: “haud parvo junior,” Gell. 13, 2, 2.—So in designating time: “parvo post,” Plin. 16, 25, 42, § 103: “parvo post tempore,” Vulg. 2 Macc. 11, 1.—Of stature (late Lat. for brevis): “Zacchaeus staturā parvus erat,” Aug. Serm. 113, 3; id. in Psa. 143, 1.
II. Comp.: mĭnor , us cf. Gr. μινύς, μινύθω, less, lesser, smaller, inferior: “quod in re majore valet, valeat in minore,” Cic. Top. 4, 23: “si ea pecunia non minor esset facta,” id. Leg. 2, 20, 51: “Hibernia dimidio minor quam Britannia,” Caes. B. G. 5, 13: “minus praedae quam speraverant fuit,” a smaller quantity, less, Liv. 4, 51: “sociis dimidio minus quam civibus datum,” id. 41, 13 fin.: “calceus ... si minor (pede), uret,” Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 43: “neve minor, neu sit quinto productior actu Fabula,” less than five acts, id. A. P. 189: “genibus minor,” i. e. down upon his knees, on his bended knees, id. Ep. 1, 12, 28; cf.: “minor in certamine longo,” worsted, id. ib. 1, 10, 35: “numero plures, virtute et honore minores,” inferior, id. ib. 2, 1, 183.—Absol.: minor, inferior in rank: “praevalidi ad injurias minorum elati,” Tac. A. 15, 20; Ov. P. 4, 7, 49; cf.: “sapiens uno minor est Jove,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 106: “minor capitis, i. e. capiti deminutus,” Hor. C. 3, 5, 42: et sunt notitiā multa minora tuā, too trivial, = leviora, Ov. Tr. 2, 214: “dies sermone minor fuit,” too short for, id. P. 2, 10, 37: “infans Et minor igne rogi,” too young for, Juv. 15, 140.—With abl. of measure, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 45, § 117: “ut uno minus teste haberet?” id. ib. 2, 1, 57, § “149: bis sex Herculeis ceciderunt, me minus uno, Viribus,” i. e. eleven, Ov. M. 12, 554.—Of age: “qui minor est natu,” younger, Cic. Lael. 9, 32: “aliquot annis minor natu,” id. Ac. 2, 19, 61: “aetate minor,” Ov. M. 7, 499: “minor uno mense,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 40: “filia minor Ptolemaei regis,” the younger daughter, Caes. B. C. 3, 112: “minor viginti annis,” less than twenty years old, under twenty years of age, Dig. 30, 99, 1.— With gen.: “minor quam viginti quinque annorum natu, Praetor,” Dig. 4, 4, 1; id. ib. 50, 2, 6: “si pupilla minor quam viripotens nupserit,” id. ib. 36, 2, 30.—So, absol.: minor, a person under age (under five-and-twenty), a minor: “De minoribus,” Dig. 4, tit. 4: “si minor negotiis majoris intervenerit,” ib. 4, 4, 24: “si minor praetor vel consul jus dixerit, valebit,” ib. 42, 1, 57.—Poet., children, Sil. 2, 491.—Also, descendants, posterity, = posteri: “nunc fama, minores Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem,” Verg. A. 1, 532; so id. ib. 733; Prop. 2, 15, 47; Sil. 16, 44: “minorum gentium, v. gens.—In specifications of value: vendo meum non pluris quam ceteri, fortasse etiam minoris,” cheaper, Cic. Off. 3, 12, 51: “minoris pallium addicere placuit,” Petr. 14: omnia minoris aestimare, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 2: “(fidem suam) non minoris quam publicam ducebat,” Sall. J. 32, 5.—
(β).
Poet., with acc. respect.: “frontemque minor truncam amnis Acarnan,” Sil. 3, 42; Val. Fl. 1, 582.—
(γ).
Poet., with inf.: “tanto certare minor,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 313: “heu Fatis Superi certare minores!” Sil. 5, 76.
III. Sup.: mĭnĭmus , a, um (whence a new sup.: “minimissimus digitorum,” Arn. 5, 160; 166; cf., in the Gr., ἐλαχιστότατος, from ἐλάχίστος), very small, very little; least, smallest, etc.: “cum sit nihil omnino in rerum naturā minimum, quod dividi nequeat,” Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 27: “minimae tenuissimaeque res,” id. de Or. 1, 37, 169: “minima pars temporis,” Caes. B. C. 1, 70: “quā minima altitudo fluminis erat,” id. B. G. 1, 8: “in maximā fortunā minima licentia est,” Sall. C. 51, 13: “vitia,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 69: “minimus digitulus,” the little finger, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 15; so, “minimus digitus,” Plin. 11, 45, 103, § 251.—Of age: minimus natu horum omnium, the youngest, Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 58: “ex his omnibus natu minimus,” id. Clu. 38, 107: “Hiempsal, qui minimus ex illis erat,” Sall. J. 11, 3: “minimus filius,” Just. 42, 5, 6.—In specifications of value: “deos minimi facit,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 35: Pe. Quanti emi potest minimo? Ep. Ad quadraginta fortasse eam posse emi minimo minis, id. Ep. 2, 2, 110: Crispinus minimo me provocat, for a trifle (in a wager), Hor. S. 1, 4, 14 (minimo provocare dicuntur hi qui in responsione plus ipsi promittunt quam exigunt ab adversario, Schol.).—Prov.: “minima de malis,” of evils choose the least, Cic. Off. 3, 29, 105.— “With a negation emphatically: non minimo discrimine, i. e. maximo,” Suet. Aug. 25: “res non minimi periculi,” id. ib. 67: “ut nihil, ne pro minimis quidem, debeant,” Liv. 6, 41. —With gen.: “minimum firmitatis minimumque virium,” Cic. Lael. 13, 46: “minimum pedibus itineris confectum,” Liv. 44, 5: “unde minimum periculi erat,” id. 27, 15.— As adv. absol.: “praemia apud me minimum valent,” very little, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 11; cf. Quint. 5, 10, 56: “minimum distantia miror,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 72: “dormiebat minimum,” Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 11: “medica secatur sexies per annos: cum minimum, quater,” at least, Plin. 18, 16, 43, § 146: “quam minimum credula postero (diei),” as little as possible, Hor. C. 1, 11, 8: “ita fiunt omnes partes minimum octoginta et una,” at least, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 12: “quae (comprehensio) ex tribus minimum partibus constat,” Quint. 5, 10, 5: “in quo non minimum Aetolorum operā regii fugati atque in castra compulsi sunt,” chiefly, particularly, Liv. 33, 6, 6: “eae omnia novella sata corrumpunt, non minimum vites,” Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 18.—Hence, adv.
A. Posit.: parvē , a little, slightly (very rare), Vitr. 9, 6.—
B. Comp.: mĭnus , less: “aut ne quid faciam plus, quod post me minus fecisse satius sit,” too little ... too much, Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 4: “ne quid plus minusve faxit,” id. Phorm. 3, 3, 21 (v. plus, under multus): “cum habeas plus, Pauperiem metuas minus,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 93: “ne mea oratio, si minus de aliquo dixero, ingrata: si satis de omnibus, infinita esse videatur,” Cic. Sest. 50, 108: “metus ipsi per se minus valerent, nisi, etc.,” id. Div. 2, 72, 150: “minus multi,” not so many, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 138: “minus multum et minus bonum vinum,” Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 2: “ita imperium semper ad optumum quemque a minus bono transfertur,” less good, not so good, Sall. C. 2, 6: “quia Libyes quam Gaetuli minus bellicosi,” Sall. J. 18, 12: “minus diu vivunt,” Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 141.—Rarely with comp.: “minus admirabilior,” Flor. 4, 2, 46 Duker: quare milites Metelli sauciabantur multo minus, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 1, 1; cf. Ov. M. 12, 554: “civilem admodum inter initia ac paulo minus quam privatum egit,” little less so than, nearly as much so as, Suet. Tib. 26: “dimidio minus,” Varr. R. R. 1, 22, 3.—With quam: “nec illa minus aut plus quam tu sapiat,” Plaut. As. 4, 1, 28: “minus quam aequom erat feci,” id. Aul. 3, 2, 10: “respondebo tibi minus fortasse vehementer, quam abs te sum provocatus,” Cic. Planc. 30, 72.—With atque: “qui peccas minus atque ego?” Hor. S. 2, 7, 96.—And elliptically, without a particle of comparison: “minus quindecim dies sunt, quod, etc.,” less than fifteen days, not yet fifteen days, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 1: “madefactum iri minus XXX. diebus Graeciam sanguine,” Cic. Div. 1, 32, 68: “minus quinquennium est, quod prodiere,” Plin. 15, 25, 30, § 104: “cecidere duo milia haud minus peditum,” Liv. 42, 6: “cum centum et quinquaginta non minus adessent,” id. 42, 28; Varr. R. R. 2, 2 fin.: “ut ex suā cujusque parte ne minus dimidium ad Trebonium perveniret,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 47, § 123: “ut antequam baccae legantur, ne minus triduum serenum fuerit,” Col. 12, 38, 6.—
2. In partic.
a. Non (haud) minus quam (atque), not less than, no less than, quite as: “exanimatus evolat ex senatu, non minus perturbato animo atque vultu, quam si, etc.,” Cic. Sest. 12, 28: “existumans non minus me tibi quam liberos carum fore,” Sall. J. 10, 1: “non minus nobis jucundi atque illustres sunt ii dies, quibus conservamur quam illi quibus nascimur,” Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 2; Quint. 2, 4, 8; 3, 7, 20: “laudibus haud minus quam praemio gaudent militum animi,” Liv. 2, 60: “haud minus ac jussi faciunt,” Verg. A. 3, 561.—
b. Non (neque) minus, equally, and as well, also: haec res non minus me male habet quam te, Ter. Hec. 4, 2, 30: quae hominibus non minus quam liberi cara esse debent, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 3; Ov. H. 19, 86: “neque minus assiduis fessa choreis,” also, Prop. 1, 3, 3.—
c. Nihil minus, in replies, as a strong negation, by no means, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 45: Py. At tu apud nos hic mane, Dum redeat ipsa. Ch. Nihil minus, id. ib. 3, 3, 29: “nihil profecto minus,” Cic. Off. 3, 20, 81; cf.: quid? a Tranione servo? Si. Multo id minus, Plaut. Most. 4, 3, 20.—
d. Minus minusque, minus et (ac) minus, less and less: mihi jam minus minusque obtemperat. Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 33: “jam minus atque minus successu laetus equorum,” Verg. A. 12, 616; Hor. C. 1, 25, 6: “minus et minus,” Ov. P. 2, 8, 73; id. H. 2, 129: “minus ac minus,” Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 26.—
3. Transf., in a softened negation, not at all, by no means, not: “quod intellexi minus,” Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 11: “nonnumquam ea quae praedicta sunt, minus eveniunt,” Cic. Div. 1, 14, 24.—Esp.: “si minus: monebo, si quem meministi minus,” Plaut. Cas. 5, 4, 19: “Syracusis, si minus supplicio affici, at custodiri oportebat,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 27, § 69: “quod si assecutus sum, gaudeo: sin minus, hoc me tamen consolor quod, etc.,” id. Fam. 7, 1, 6 et saep.; so, “minus formido ne exedat,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 45. —
b. Quo minus, also written as one word, quominus, that not, from, after verbs of hindering, preventing, as impedio, recuso, deterreo, etc., Ter. And. 1, 2, 26: “si te infirmitas valetudinis tenuit, quo minus ad ludos venires,” Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 1; 7, 1, 6: “hiemem credo prohibuisse, quo minus de te certum haberemus, quid ageres,” id. Fam. 12, 5, 1: “deterrere aliquem, quo minus, etc.,” id. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: “stetisse per Trebonium, quo minus oppido potirentur, videbatur,” Caes. B. C. 2, 13 fin.; Quint. 12, 1, 16; “v. also quo. —Ante-class. also in the reverse order, minus quo: ne vereatur, minus jam quo redeat domum,” Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 8.—
C. Sup., in two forms, parvissime (post-class.), and minime (class.), least, very little.
2. mĭnĭmē , least of all, in the smallest degree, least, very little: “cum minime vellem, minimeque opus fuit,” Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 42: “cum minime videbamur, tum maxime philosophabamur,” Cic. N. D. 1, 3, 6; id. Or. 66, 222: “mihi placebat Pomponius maxime, vel dicam minime displicebat,” id. Brut. 57, 207: “quod in miserrimis rebus minime miserum putabis, id facies,” id. Fam. 14, 13: “quod minime ad eos mercatores saepe commeant,” very rarely, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 3; Cic. de Or. 2, 79, 322.—Strengthened by quam: “si non decore, at quam minime dedecore facere possimus,” as little as possible, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 114; by omnium and gentium: “ad te minime omnium pertinebat,” id. Rosc. Am. 34, 96: “minime gentium,” Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 77: “heus, inquit, puer, arcesse Pamphilam, ... illa exclamat, Minime gentium,” not for any thing in the world, Ter. Eun. 4, 1, 11; id. Ad. 3, 2, 44.—
B. In partic.
a. For minimum, saltem, at least: “is morbus erit longissimus minimeque annuus,” Cels. 2, 8 fin. Targ.: “pedes decem vel minime novem,” Col. 1, 6, 6: “sed id minime bis anno arari debet,” id. 5, 9, 12; id. Arb. 16, 3.—
b. In replies, as an emphatic negative, by no means, not at all, not in the least, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 50: Ba. Sed cessas? Pa. Minime equidem: “nam hodie, etc.,” Ter. Hec. 5, 3, 16: M. An tu haec non credis? A. Minime vero, Cic. Tusc. 1, 6, 10: num igitur peccamus? Minime vos quidem. id. Att. 8, 9, 2: “minime, minime hercle vero!” Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 23; so in discourse: minime multi (= quam paucissimi). Ter. Eun. prol. 2: minume irasci decet. Plaut. Stich. 1, 1, 27; Sall. C. 51, 13.—Strengthened by gentium (cf.supra): Nau. Meriton' hoc meo videtur factum? De. Minime gentium, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 44.