parvus, a, um, adj. (usual, irreg. 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. 521; 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. 110; cf.: in parvo tempore, Lucr. 5, 106: nox, Luc. 4, 476: vita, id. 6, 806: parvam fidem habere alicui, Ter. Eun. 197: 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. 799: 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 ( Luc. ), 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. 730: ne quid plus minusve faxit, id. Phorm. 554 (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. 606: 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. 435: Py. At tu apud nos hic mane, Dum redeat ipsa. Ch. Nihil minus, id. ib. 535: 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. 594: 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. 737: 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. 197: 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. 630.—
C Sup. , in two forms, parvissime (post-class.), and minime (class.), least , very little.
1 par-vissĭmē : memorare aliquid, very briefly , with very few words , Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 38. —
2 mĭnĭmē , least of all , in the smallest degree , least , very little : cum minime vellem, minimeque opus fuit, Ter. Eun. 333: 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. 625; id. Ad. 342.—
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. 814: 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. 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. 1033.