adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
parvus1
parvus (feminine parva, neuter parvum, comparative minor or parvior, superlative minimus or parvissimus or minerrimus or minimissimus, adverb parvē)
Classical[ˈpar.wʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpar.vus]
parva sg. nom. f.; pl. nom. n.; pl. acc. n.; sg. abl. f.; sg. voc. f.; pl. voc. n.№ 143 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- adjectivesmall; little; puny
- adjectivecheap; petty; trifling; ignorable; unimportant
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
nōn magnus; puer parvus, domus parva.parvus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Templum Graecum
maximē parvusminimus -a -um — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 3
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Neutiquam · Nequaquam · Minime
Neutiquam means, in no case, in opp. to utique; nequaquam, by no means; minime, not in the least.
Parvus · Minutus · Exiguus · Pusillus
Parvus and minutus denote littleness, quite indifferently, and in a purely mathematical sense, without any accessory notion; parvus (παῦρος) a natural and intrinsic littleness, in opp. to magnus, like μικρός; minutus (μινύθω) an artificial and fabricated littleness; whereas exiguus and pusillus with a contemptuous accessory notion; exiguus from (egere) in a pitiable sense, as paltry and insignificant, in opp. to amplus. Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. x. 24; or in opp. to grandis, Quintil. xi. 3, 15; but pusillus (ψιλός?) in a ludicrous sense, as petty, nearly in opp. to ingens, like τυτθός. (v. 28.)
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | parvus | parva | parvum |
| genitive | parvī | parvae | parvī |
| dative | parvō | parvae | parvō |
| accusative | parvum | parvam | parvum |
| ablative | parvō | parvā | parvō |
| vocative | parve | parva | parvum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | parvī | parvae | parva |
| genitive | parvōrum | parvārum | parvōrum |
| dative | parvīs | parvīs | parvīs |
| accusative | parvōs | parvās | parva |
| ablative | parvīs | parvīs | parvīs |
| vocative | parvī | parvae | parva |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- suspicio tenuissima, minima
- the faintest suspicion.
- paucis, parvo contentum esse
- to be satisfied with a little.
- parvo, vili pretio or bene emere
- to buy cheaply.
- aliquid magno, parvo stat, constat
- a thing costs much, little.
- vox gravis, acuta, parva, mediocris
- a deep, high, thin, moderate voice.
- a puero (is), a parvo (is), a parvulo (is)
- from youth up.
- ex parvis saepe magnarum rerum momenta pendent
- important results are often produced by trivial causes.
- nec mirum, minime mirum (id quidem), quid mirum?
- no wonder.
parvus, a, um, adj. (usual, irreg.
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.—(b). Poet., with acc. respect.:
frontemque minor truncam amnis Acarnan, Sil. 3, 42; Val. Fl. 1, 582.—(g). 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.
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. 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.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
parvus adj. (for comp. and sup., see minor, minimus)
PAV-.—Of magnitude, little, small, petty, puny, inconsiderable : argenti pondus, S.: pisciculi: haec parva et infirma sunt: parva componere magnis, V.—Of stature, small, short, little, young : liberi, S.: salutaria appetant parvi, the little ones : soror, T.: virgo, Ct.: operosa parvus Carmina fingo, a little man , H.: a parvis didicimus, etc., in childhood : puer in domo a parvo eductus, from infancy , L.—Of time, short, brief : parvae consuetudinis Causa, T.—Of extent or importance, little, insignificant, trifling, small, petty, unimportant : causa, T.: res: merces, H.: detrimentum, Cs.: pericula, Ta.: onus parvis animis et parvo corpore maius, H.: hoc studium parvi properemus et ampli, both small and great , H.— Of value or price, little, small, low, mean, vile : opera parvi preti, T.: Nil parvom loquar, H.: pretio parvo vendere.—As subst n., a little, trifle : parvo contentus, with little : vivitur parvo bene, H.: ita ut parvo admodum plures caperentur, a very little more , L.—Esp., in gen. or abl. of price: Sed parvi pendo, little I care , T.: parvi sunt foris arma, of little value : parvi refert abs te ius dici diligenter, nisi, etc., it matters little : quia parvi id duceret, cared little for : quanti emptus? parvo, H.
Origins
From Old Latin parvos, from Proto-Italic *pauros (“few, small”) with sonority hierarchy-related metathesis, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂u-rós, suffixed form of *peh₂w-. Cognate with Ancient Greek παῦρος (paûros), Old Armenian փոքր (pʻokʻr), and the Germanic cognates under Proto-Germanic *fawaz.
In English words that came into English from parvus
- minimumminimum
- minimizeminimus
- minimusminimus
- parvanimityparvus
- parvuleparvus