I know little of their history. Something much less than all: A small quantity or amount:
The oed says of the word little: Little and few have negative meanings. We use them to mean ‘not as much as may be expected or wished for’.
In english, a little, little, a few, and few are used to describe small amounts of something, but they are used differently depending on whether the noun is countable or uncountable. See examples of little used in a sentence. 1 little / ˈ lɪtl̟/ adjective less / ˈlɛs/ or lesser / ˈlɛsɚ/ also littler / ˈlɪtl̟ɚ/ ; Least / ˈliːst/ also littlest / ˈlɪtl̟əst/ britannica dictionary definition of little 1 a :
If you live in a little cottage, it means your house is very small, and quite possibly adorable. The meaning of little is not big. the adjective has no recognized mode of comparison. A short distance or time:
You use little to indicate that there is only a very small amount of something. A present that is not of great…. I find that i need very little sleep these. The difficulty is commonly evaded by resort to a synonym (as smaller, smallest);
(a) little and (a) few are quantifiers meaning ‘some’. Small in size or amount: You can use 'so', 'too', and 'very' in front of little. A small amount of food or drink:
I had little money and little free time.