ἐλάσσων

ἐλάσσ-ων, [dialect] Att. [suff] ἐλάσς-ττων, ον, gen. ονος: [comp] Sup. ἐλάχιστος (q.v.): —

A smaller, less, formed from ἐλαχύς (q.v.), but serving as [comp] Comp. to

μικρός, δουρηνεκὲς ἢ καὶ ἔλασσον Il.10.357

; τοὔλασσον ἔχειν to have the worse, be worse off,

πάντῃ Thgn.269

;

οὐδὲν ἔλασσον ἔχειν τῇ μάχῃ Hdt.9.102

;

ἔ. ἔχειν παρά τινι D.21.187

;

ἐλάττων γίγνεσθαι Ar.Eq. 441

, D.3.29;

οὐκ ἐλάσσονα πάσχειν A.Pers.813

; ἐλάττω νομίσας τὴν ἀρχὴν ἢ κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν εἶναι too small for . ., Isoc.11.11: abs., too small, Thphr.Char.23.9; below the average in height, PLips.1.9, etc.

2 c. gen. pers., worse than, inferior to, Ar.V.599, etc.: but c. gen. rei, giving way to, subservient to,

σιτίων X.Lac.5.8

;

πάθους Plu.Cor.34

: abs., worse, inferior,

τόποι Gp.2.48.1

.

3 neut. with Preps., περὶ ἐλάσσονος ποιεῖσθαι to consider of less account, Hdt.6.6;

ἐν ἐλάττονι θέσθαι Plb.4.6.12

;

παρ' ἔλαττον τοῦ δέοντος ἡγεῖσθαι Pl.R. 546d

; ἐπ' ἔλαττον (sc. ἁρμοσθῆναι) Id.Phd.93b; δι' ἐλάσσονος at less distance, Th.7.4;

πάντ' ἐν ἐλάττονι ποιεῖσθαι τῆς ἡδονῆς Heraclid.Pont.

ap.Ath.12.537c.

II of Number, fewer, οἱ ἐλάσσονες the minority, Hdt.3.121;

ἐλάσσονες ἀριθμόν Id.8.66

;

ἔ. πλῆθος Th.1.49

.

III of Time, shorter, Pl.Plt.295c, etc.

IV of worth or rank, οἱ ἐ. the meaner sort, Isoc.2.13, Alex.116.12.

V neut. ἔλασσον, as Adv.,

ἔ. ἢ μηδέν A.Pr.938

, cf. S.El.598, Pl.R.564d, etc.; ἔ. ἄπωθεν less far off, Th.4.67; πλείω ἔλαττον, with numbers, more or less, PLips.28.10 (iv A.D.), etc.: neut. pl., as Adv.,= ἐλαττονάκις, Pl.Cri.53a, al.: regul. Adv. ἐλασσόνως (q.v.).

VI with indecl. Numerals, the ἤ of Comparison is often omitted,

οὐκ ἐλάττους ὀγδοήκοντα D.S.14.8

; esp. in Adv. ἔλασσον, as

μὴ ἔ. δέκα ἔτη Pl.Lg.856d

,al. (Orig. ἐλάχγων, cf. ἐλάχ-ιστος, ἐλαχύς.)