ἐλάσσων

smaller, less, formed from ἐλαχύς (q.v.), but serving as 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.

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.

neut. with Preps., περὶ ἐλάσσονος ποιεῖσθαι to consider of less account, Hdt. 6.6; ἐν ἐλάττονι θέσθαι Plb. 4.6.12; παρʼ ἔλαττον τοῦ δέοντος ἡγεῖσθαι Pl. R. 546d; ἐπʼ ἔλαττον (sc. ἁρμοσθῆναι) Id. Phd. 93b; διʼ ἐλάσσονος at less distance, Th. 7.4; πάντʼ ἐν ἐλάττονι ποιεῖσθαι τῆς ἡδονῆς Heraclid.Pont. ap. Ath. 12.537c.

of Number, fewer, οἱ ἐλάσσονες the minority, Hdt. 3.121; ἐλάσσονες ἀριθμόν Id. 8.66; ἔ. πλῆθος Th. 1.49.

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

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

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.).

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.)