I.gen. plur. paucūm, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, fin.—Dat. plur. fem. paucabus, Cn. Gellius ap. Charis. p. 39 P.), adj. root pau-; Gr. παύω, to cause to cease, παῦλα, remnant, παῦρος, little; cf. paulus, pauper, parvus (παῦρος）, few, little (the sing. very rare; cf.: parvus, exiguus, rarus): verbūm Paucūm, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, 4 (Ann. v. 252 Vahl.): “in diebus paucis Chrysis moritur,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 77: “paucis diebus post mortem Africani,” Cic. Lael. 1, 3; cf.: “his paucis diebus,” a few days ago, id. de Or. 1, 37, 168; id. Tusc. 5, 35, 102: “causae modicae et paucae,” id. de Or. 2, 32, 140: “pauci admodum familiares,” id. Lael. 1, 2; id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1; id. Fam. 2, 7, 3: “paucorum hominum et mentis bene sanae (i. e. paucis hominibus familiariter utens),” Hor. S. 1, 9, 44; cf. Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 19 and v. Ruhnk. ad h. l. Lycurgus γέροντας Lacedaemone appellavit, nimis is quidem paucos, XXVIII., quos, etc., Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 50: nimium fortasse pauci viverent, Lact. Ira Dei, 20, 5.— Comp ne pauciores cum pluribus manum consererent, Sall. J. 49, 2. pauciora navigia, Auct. B. Afr.—Sup.: “quam paucissimae plagae,” Cels. 7, 2.—
(β).
In sing.: “tibia tenuis simplexque foramine pauco,” Hor. A. P. 203: “injurias pauco aere diluere,” Gell. 20, 1, 31. —
II. Subst.
A. pauci , ōrum, m., few, a few: “ut metus ad omnes, poena ad paucos perveniret,” Cic. Clu. 46, 128: “pauci sciebant,” id. Mur. 11, 25: “calumnia paucorum,” Sall. C. 30, 4: “paucorum potentia,” id. ib. 39, 1; 20, 7.—Sometimes pauci is used in the sense of the few, the select few (opp. multi, the many, the multitude): non paucis . . . ac sapientibus esse probatum, Lucil. ap. Non. 519, 10: “paucorum judicium,” Cic. Or. 3, 13: “eorum qui pauci nominantur,” id. Lael. 6, 22: pauciores, the more distinguished (opp. plures), Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 12.—Hence, inter paucos (paucas), in paucis, adverb., with adjj., especially, eminently, extraordinarily, etc.: “nobilis pugna atque inter paucas memorata,” Liv. 22, 7, 1: “pugna memorabilis inter paucas,” id. 23, 44, 4: “situs inter paucas munitae urbis,” id. 38, 15, 9: “Florus, inter paucos disertus,” Quint. 10, 3, 13: “Hector, in paucis Alexandro carus,” Curt. 4, 8, 7: “regi carus in paucis,” id. 6, 8, 2: “in paucis digna res,” Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 1; 27, 7, 28, § 45.—
B. pauca , ōrum, n., a few words: philosophandum est paucis, nam omnino haut placet, Enn. ap. Gell. 5, 15, 9 (Trag. v. 417 Vahl.): pauca sunt, tecum quae volo, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 214 P.: audite, pueri, pauca, Afran. ap. Non. 403, 21: “in pauca confer,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 54: “paucis me misit ad eam,” id. Bacch. 4, 1, 16: paucis rem attingere, id. Truc. 4, 4, 11: “ausculta paucis,” Ter. And. 3, 3, 4: “paucis te volo,” id. ib. 1, 1, 2: “paucis docebo,” Verg. A. 4, 116: “pauca refert,” id. ib. 4, 333: “pauca respondere,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 61: “ipsi pauca velim,” Juv. 5, 107: “cetera quam paucissimis absolvam,” Sall. J. 17, 2.
