poco
Italian
Etymology
From Latin paucus, from Proto-Italic *paukos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ukos, derived from the root *peh₂w- (“few”, “little”). Compare French peu, Portuguese pouco, Spanish poco.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpɔ.ko/, [ˈpɔːko]
Audio (file) - Stress: pòco
- Hyphenation: po‧co
Adverb
poco
- little, not much
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Purgatorio [The Divine Comedy: Purgatory] (paperback), Bompiani, published 2001, Canto VII, lines 61–66, page 102:
- Allora il mio segnor, quasi ammirando, ¶ «Menane», disse, «dunque là ’ve dici ¶ ch’aver si può diletto dimorando». ¶ Poco allungati c’eravam di lici, ¶ quand’io m’accorsi che ’l monte era scemo, ¶ a guisa che i vallon li sceman quici.
- Thereon my Lord, as if in wonder, said: "Do thou conduct us thither, where thou sayest that we can take delight in tarrying." Little had we withdrawn us from that place, when I perceived the mount was hollowed out in fashion as the valleys here are hollowed.
-
- (followed by an adjective) little, not very, poorly
- (time) a little, a while, a short time
- a tra poco ― see you later
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto VIII, lines 58–63, page 122–123:
- Dopo ciò poco vid’io quello strazio ¶ far di costui a le fangose genti, ¶ che Dio ancor ne lodo e ne ringrazio. ¶ Tutti gridavano: « A Filippo Argenti! »; ¶ e ’l fiorentino spirito bizzarro ¶ in sé medesmo si volvea co’ denti.
- A little after that, I saw such havoc made of him by the people of the mire, that still I praise and thank my God for it. They all were shouting, "At Philippo Argenti!" and that exasperate spirit Florentine turned round upon himself with his own teeth.
Adjective
poco (feminine singular poca, masculine plural pochi, feminine plural poche)
- little, not much
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto XXIX, lines 112–117, page 434:
- Vero è ch’i’ dissi lui, parlando a gioco: ¶ ‘ I’ mi saprei levar per l'aere a volo ’; ¶ e quei, ch’avea vaghezza e senno poco, ¶ volle ch’i’ li mostrassi l’arte; e solo ¶ perch’ io nol feci Dedalo, mi fece ¶ ardere a tal che l’avea per figliuolo.
- 'Tis true I said to him, speaking in jest, that I could rise by flight into the air, and he who had conceit, but little wit, would have me show to him the art; and only because no Dædalus I made him, made me be burned by one who held him as his son.
-
- few, not many
- (of time) short, little
Noun
poco m (invariable)
- little
- Synonym: po'
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto XIV, lines 68–72, page 213:
- Quei fu l’un d’i sette regi ¶ ch’assiser Tebe; ed ebbe e par ch’elli abbia ¶ Dio in disdegno, e poco par che ’l pregi; ¶ ma, com’io dissi lui, li suoi dispetti ¶ sono al suo petto assai debiti fregi.
- One of the Seven Kings was he [Capaneus] who Thebes besieged, and held, and seems to hold God in disdain, and little seems to prize him; but, as I said to him, his own despites are for his breast the fittest ornaments.
Pronoun
poco m (feminine poca, masculine plural pochi, feminine plural poche) (indefinite)
- little, not much
- Antonym: molto
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto I, lines 4–7, page 6:
- Ahi quanto a dir qual era è cosa dura ¶ esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte ¶ che nel pensier rinova la paura! ¶ Tant’è amara che poco è più morte
- Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say what was this forest savage, rough, and stern, which in the very thought renews the fear. So bitter is it, death is little more
- (in the plural) few, not many
- nearly, not long, short, little (time)
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin paucus, from Proto-Italic *paukus, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few”, “little”). Compare French peu, Italian poco, Portuguese pouco.
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