fewness

English

Etymology

From few +‎ -ness.

Noun

fewness (usually uncountable, plural fewnesses)

1. The state, quality, or condition of being few.
   • 1670, John Milton, The History of Britain, that Part especially now called England; from the first traditional Beginning, continued to the Norman Conquest. Collected out of the antientest and best Authours thereof, The Second Book:

     They on the hill, which were not yet come to blows, perceiving the fewness of their enemies, came down amain.

   • 2000, David Pierce, Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, page 625:

     There are, says the Irish triad, 'three fewnesses that are better than plenty: a fewness of fine words; a fewness of cows on grass; a fewness of good friends around good ale'. As an Ulsterman I would agree.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:fewness

Translations

state of being few

• Arabic: قِلَّة f (qilla)
• Bulgarian: малобро́йност f (malobrójnost)
• Esperanto: malmulteco
• Finnish: vähyys (fi)
• Irish: laghad m
• Latin: paucitās f
• Ottoman Turkish: قلت (kıllet)
• Portuguese: pouquidade f
• Russian: малочи́сленность (ru) f (maločíslennostʹ)
• Swedish: fåtalighet (sv) c