ὀλίγος
Alt. ὀλί^γος, η, ον
I. of Number or Quantity, "few, little, scanty, small", opp. to πολύς, Hom., etc.; the governing body in Oligarchies was called οἱ ὀλίγοι, Thuc., etc.
2. c. inf. "too few to" do a thing, Hdt., Thuc.
II. of Size, "little, small", opp. to μέγας, Hom.; ὀλίγον ἢ οὐδέν "little" or nothing, Plat.
III. neut. ὀλίγον as adv., "little, a little, slightly", Hom., Eur.; with comp. Adjs., ὀλίγον προγενέστερος Il.; ὀλ. ἧσσον Od.; so, ὀλ. τι πρότερον Hdt.; but ὀλίγῳ is more common with the comp. in Prose, id=Hdt., etc.
IV. special phrases:
1. ὀλίγου δεῖν "almost", ὀλίγοῦ ἐδέησε καταλαβεῖν wanted "but little" of overtaking, id=Hdt.:—hence ὀλίγου alone, "all but, almost", Od., attic; ὀλίγου ἐς χιλίους "hard upon" 1000, Thuc.
2. δι᾽ ὀλίγου (sc. χώρου) at "a short distance", Aesch., etc.: also, δι᾽ ὀλίγου (sc. χρόνου) "at short notice, suddenly", Thuc.:— δι᾽ ὀλίγων "in few words", Plat.
3. ἐν ὀλίγῳ (sc. χώρῳ) "in a small space, within small compass", Thuc.:—also, ἐν ὀλίγῳ (sc. χρόνῳ) "in a short time, suddenly", Plat., NTest.
4. ἐν ὀλίγοις "one among few", i. e. "exceedingly, remarkably", Hdt.
5. ἐξ ὀλίγου ῀ δι᾽ ὀλίγου, of Time, Thuc.
6. ἐς ὀλίγον "within a little", id=Thuc.
7. κατ᾽ ὀλίγον "by little and little", id=Thuc.; but the adj. often takes the gender and number of its Subst., κατ᾽ ὀλίγους "few at a time, in small parties", Hdt., Thuc.
8. μετ᾽ ὀλίγον τούτων "shortly" after these things, Xen.
9. παρ᾽ ὀλίγον within "a little, almost", Eur.:—but, παρ᾽ ὀλ. ποιεῖσθαι to hold of "small" account, Xen.
V. the adv. ὀλίγως is rare, οὐκ ὀλίγως Anth.
VI. Comparison:
1. the comp. is commonly supplied by μείων, ἥσσων or ἐλάσσων: the form ὀλίζων, ονος, is rare.
2. Sup. ὀλίγιστος, η, ον, Il., attic:— ὀλίγιστον or τὸ ὀλ., as adv., Lat. minime, Plat.; ὡς ὀλίγιστα id=Plat.