Talk:less

Words ending in -less
What about words ending in less:

Wireless ... a radio. Fireless engine ... a steam engine with no firebox, but loaded with steam to do its work. Batteryless radio ... a clockwork radio.

203.41.133.81 02:47, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Synonym of fewer?
The definition very cleverly side-stepped the argument over the use of less to mean fewer. I hope that my clarification is sufficiently neutral in PoV. I have held both views. Can you determine which view I currently hold?  D b f  i  r  s   23:15, 12 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Strictly, less used in this sense is a determiner, but that's just a fussy grammarian's word for a special sort of adjective isn't it? Are the other adjectival senses of less also determiners?  (I'm not proposing that we change the header!)   D b f  i  r  s   20:06, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Less as determiner
I don't see English less listed as a determiner, which is how I would classify it, but then in the adjective section it says something like "less as a determiner..."

Etymology
The etymology of LESS is unattestable beyond the Old English form; but various kinships including Cornish LÊ[5] and Ancient Greek ΈΛΑΣΣΩΝ (ELASSŌN)[6], point to a Proto-Indo-European root *L2Gh2S[4], partly due to the lemma ἘΛΑΧΥΣ (ELAKHUS) (small, light) and Sanskrit LAGHUS (light in weight). Andrew H. Gray 11:23, 8 October 2016 (UTC) Andrew (talk) [0] means 'Absolutely not; [1] means 'Exceedingly unlikely'; [2] means 'Very dubious'; [3] means 'Questionable'; [4] means 'Possible'; [5] means 'Probable'; [6] means 'Likely'; [7] means 'Most Likely' or *Unattested; [8] means 'Attested'; [9] means 'Obvious' - only used for close matches within the same language or dialect, at linkable periods. '2' inserted in root words stands for a laryngeal to represent an 'a' that does not exist. √ means original or earliest root. Andrew H. Gray 18:56, 18 January 2020 (UTC)Andrew

RFV discussion: November 2019
Verb. to lessen Sole cite is from, a contemporary of Chaucer's. DCDuring (talk) 19:04, 8 November 2019 (UTC)


 * cited. I even added a few quite recent quotes to the citations page, but I think they are by non-native speakers. The three on the page itself, however, I think are convincing. Kiwima (talk) 00:27, 9 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Indeed. I've adjusted the dates of 2 of the cites to show the dates the words were originally written, in one case ("1650") very approximately. DCDuring (talk) 20:03, 9 November 2019 (UTC)

RFV-passed Kiwima (talk) 20:33, 16 November 2019 (UTC)

pay less taxes vs pay less in taxes ; Less for singular nouns or units of measure
Garner's fourth edition reads

As a noun, less means “a smaller amount” or “something not as important.” Occasionally, writers make it an adjective when it should be a noun—e.g.: “He wants business to make money and everyone to pay less taxes [read less in taxes].”

''Less for singular nouns or units of measure: less tonic water, one less golfer, less than six ounces of epoxy --Backinstadiums (talk) 08:45, 27 October 2020 (UTC)
 * one less/fewer person --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:41, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

[with a negative word or phrase] in any way different; other:
Adverb: [with a negative word or phrase] in any way different; other: He's nothing less than a thief. https://www.wordreference.com/definition/less Compare the current no less --Backinstadiums (talk) 08:47, 27 October 2020 (UTC)

St James the Less
What part of speech is used in St James the Less ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:56, 28 January 2020 (UTC)


 * Adjective, same as lesser. Equinox ◑ 11:58, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

fewer vs less than
When followed by than, LESS occurs at least as often as FEWER in modifying plural nouns that are not units or groups: less than eight million people; no less than 31 of the 50 states. https://www.wordreference.com/definition/less --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:20, 17 February 2020 (UTC)

noun: 2. something not as important
People have been imprisoned for less --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:57, 13 August 2020 (UTC)

less than
less than Not at all: He had a less than favorable view of the matter. https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=less --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:05, 13 August 2020 (UTC)

adjective
least reads "(Adjective) superlative form of less: most less". Which entry is wrong? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:29, 16 August 2020 (UTC)


 * I'm adding an adjective sense here now (citing "a less matter" from Stevenson). Dated synonym of . Equinox ◑ 01:46, 27 September 2021 (UTC)

still less
LESS adverb (a comparative of little with  least as superlative) 2. [much/still + ~] To say nothing of: I could barely pay for my own meal, much less hers. https://www.wordreference.com/definition/less --Backinstadiums (talk) 08:50, 27 October 2020 (UTC)

less of
What PoS is it in sentences such as we see less of John these days or less of a success than I'd hoped ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:31, 27 October 2020 (UTC)
 * What about We should eat less of some fats ?. --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:32, 23 November 2020 (UTC)
 * (noun) a smaller amount or quantity: Hundreds of soldiers arrived, but less of them remained. --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:51, 23 March 2021 (UTC)

in less than no time
How should in less than no time be parsed? --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:43, 23 November 2020 (UTC)