ὀλίγος .ὀλίγος (ῐ), η, ον of Number or Quantity, few, little, scanty, small, opp. to πολύς, Hom., etc.; the governing body in Oligarchies was called οἱ ὀλίγοι, Thuc., etc. c. inf. too few to do a thing, Hdt., Thuc. of Size, little, small, opp. to μέγας, Hom.; ὀλίγον ἢ οὐδέν little or nothing, Plat. 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, Hdt., etc. special phrases: ὀλίγου δεῖν almost, ὀλίγοῦ ἐδέησε καταλαβεῖν wanted but little of overtaking, Hdt.:—hence ὀλίγου alone, all but, almost, Od., Attic; ὀλίγου ἐς χιλίους hard upon 1000, Thuc. διʼ ὀλίγου (sc. χώρου) at a short distance, Aesch., etc.: also, διʼ ὀλίγου (sc. χρόνου) at short notice, suddenly, Thuc.:— διʼ ὀλίγων in few words, Plat. ἐν ὀλίγῳ (sc. χώρῳ) in a small space, within small compass, Thuc.:—also, ἐν ὀλίγῳ (sc. χρόνῳ) in a short time, suddenly, Plat., NTest. ἐν ὀλίγοις one among few, i. e. exceedingly, remarkably, Hdt. ἐξ ὀλίγου διʼ ὀλίγου, of Time, Thuc. ἐς ὀλίγον within a little, Thuc. κατʼ ὀλίγον by little and little, Thuc.; but the adj. often takes the gender and number of its Subst., κατʼ ὀλίγους few at a time, in small parties, Hdt., Thuc. μετʼ ὀλίγον τούτων shortly after these things, Xen. παρʼ ὀλίγον within a little, almost, Eur.:—but, παρʼ ὀλ. ποιεῖσθαι to hold of small account, Xen. the adv. ὀλίγως is rare, οὐκ ὀλίγως Anth. Comparison: the comp. is commonly supplied by μείων, ἥσσων or ἐλάσσων· the form ὀλίζων, ονος, is rare. Sup. ὀλίγιστος, η, ον, Il., Attic:— ὀλίγιστον or τὸ ὀλ., as adv., Lat. minime, Plat.; ὡς ὀλίγιστα Plat.