small vs. little

Дата публикации: May 04, 2020 5:41:17 PM

See also big vs. large and huge vs. vast

Сбор информации

see: big vs. large and huge vs. vast

nice little vs. nice small

nice это оценка, потому она не склеивается со small

кстати судя по всему сам по себе little оценка без знака, для коннотации нужны дополнительные прилагательные:

sure little thing - отриц. коннотация

a nice little house - полож. коннотация

a charming little child - полож. коннотация

Jane Povey about the subject

some example where either word can be used (with small - more formal)

room/flat/house

town/village

field/park/garden/lake

bag/suitcase

knife/spoon/plate

apple/pie/cake​

in such cases little is the opposite of big and small the opposite of large

контр-интуитивно для изучающего английский язык, что small противостоит large, а big <-> little

почему так? см. big vs. large and huge vs. vast

More

* - ??? современные деривативы от сходства значений (pigeon), см. гипотезу ниже

+

look/feel small - ​to look or feel stupid, weak, ashamed, etc.

There’s no need to make me look small in front of all these people.

I felt really small when I realized how much time he’d spent on it.

у small есть значение подлый, низкий видимо вытекающее из цепочки: маленький -> мелкий -> неважный/второстепенный/несущественный/незначительный -> ничтожный -> низкий -> подлый, либо через смежные ассоциации вида a small-town person -> a small person (в смысле недалекий)

(в некоторых словарях нет этого значения, см. график)

примеры:

small mind - подлая душонка

small passions - низменные страсти(шки)

small trickery - подлый обман

to enjoy a small triumph - злорадствовать

it's small of you - это низко с твой стороны

как это согласуется с анализом (см. выше хвост таблицы)?

small и little имеют пересечения в области применения, они образуют непрерывную линейную последовательность значений, часть которых - на границе и они перетекают в сторону переносного смысла c течением времени. Слова приобретают новые значения в процессе развития языка, отражающего изменения в обществе. (см. ниже этимологию)

Например it's small of you vs. you're bigger than that

при этом big антоним little.

Видно, что small of you относительно мало употребляется сейчас, см. также Этимологию

У big есть полный аналог it's small of you vs. that's big of you

big of somebody (usually ironic) kind or generous

That's big of you, buddy, Dane thought, but he did not speak aloud. «Ну уж это чересчур, приятель», — подумал Дэйн, но вслух ничего не сказал. [Bradley, Marion,Zimmer, Paul Edwin / The Survivors]

С точки зрения этимологии:

small (adj.)

Old English smæl "thin, slender, narrow; fine," from Proto-Germanic *smal- "small animal; small" (source also of Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German smal, Old Frisian smel, German schmal "narrow, slender," Gothic smalista "smallest," Old Norse smali "small cattle, sheep"), perhaps from a PIE root *(s)melo- "smaller animal" (source also of Greek melon, Old Irish mil "a small animal;" Old Church Slavonic malu "bad"). Original sense of "narrow" now almost obsolete, except in reference to waistline and intestines.

My sister ... is as white as a lilly, and as small as a wand. [Shakespeare, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 1591]

Sense of "not large, of little size" developed in Old English. Of children, "young," from mid-13c. Meaning "inferior in degree or amount" is from late 13c. Meaning "trivial, unimportant" is from mid-14c. Sense of "having little property or trade" is from 1746. That of "characterized by littleness of mind or spirit, base, low, mean" is from 1824. As an adverb by late 14c.

Small fry, first recorded 1690s of little fish, 1885 of insignificant people. Small potatoes "no great matter" first attested 1924; small change "something of little value" is from 1902; small talk "chit-chat, trifling conversation" (1751) first recorded in Chesterfield's "Letters." Small world as a comment upon an unexpected meeting of acquaintances is recorded from 1895. Small-arms, indicating those capable of being carried in the hand (contrasted to ordnance) is recorded from 1710.

little (adj.)

Old English lytel "not large, not much, small in size or number; short in distance or time; unimportant,"

from Proto-Germanic *lutilla- (source also of Old Saxon luttil, Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, German lützel "little"), perhaps originally a diminutive of the root of Old English lyt "little, few," from PIE *leud- "small."

"Often synonymous with small, but capable of emotional implications which small is not" [OED]. Now with less, least, but formerly and in dialect littler, littlest. In terms of endearment from 1560s. Meaning "younger" (of a brother, sister, etc.) is from 1610s. As an adverb, Old English lytel.

Little while "a short time" is from 12c. Phrase the little woman "wife" attested from 1795. Little people "the faeries" is from 1726; as "children" it is attested from 1752; as "ordinary people" (opposed to the great) from 1827. Little death "orgasm" (1932) translates French petite mort. Little Neck clams (1884) are so called for Little Neck, a "neck" of land on Long Island's North Shore, where they first came into favor. Little green men "space aliens" is from 1950. Little boys' room (or girls') as a euphemism for "lavatory" is from 1957. Little breeches for "boy" is by 1785. Little black dress is from 1939.

Others

small hands - физически маленькие руки

little hands - руч(он)ки - тоже маленькие, но уже в контексте деланья - меньше возможностей, руки ребенка.