less
part of speech
adjective, determiner, adverb, pronoun (less, least); preposition (ten less two)
meaning for a pupil
1) Less means a smaller amount: less sugar. tree →
2) Less means not so much: less noisy. tree →
3) «Less than» compares two amounts: 5 is less than 8 (5 < 8). tree →
4) In maths talk, «less» can mean minus: ten less two is eight. tree →
5) Least means the smallest amount of all. tree →
6) «Nothing less than» means only the very thing named, and nothing smaller. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: The poor were not to give less than the half shekel, and the rich not more. Interpretation: The Rabbis read the equal half shekel as showing that all are equal before God. In the primary lessons: having a smaller amount after a change («give some away, you have less: subtract»); or comparing two amounts («3 pounds less than a book»); the sign < means «less than»; in everyday life «less noise», «more or less» (about), «at least»
examples
- And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. (Torah EXO.16.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your souls. (Torah EXO.30.15, JPS 1917) tree →
- To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; to each one according to those that were numbered of it shall its inheritance be given. (Torah NUM.26.54, JPS 1917) tree →
- Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. (Writings JOB.11.6, JPS 1917) tree →
- Overbearing speech becometh not a churl; much less do lying lips a prince. (Writings PRO.17.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him? (Writings JOB.9.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- If you give some away to a friend, you have less: subtract. tree →
- A pen costs 3 pounds less than a book. tree →
- Kim has less juice than Tom. tree →
- 5 is less than 9. tree →
- 12 less 4 is 8. tree →
- Please make less noise. tree →
- Eat less sugar and more fruit. tree →
- Who has the least money? tree →
- He was accused of nothing less than murder. tree →
note
Ending up with less = subtract. Trap: «less … than» compares two amounts and may ask for a difference. Teachers prefer «less» with things you cannot count (less water) and «fewer» with things you can (fewer apples). «Less than» and the sign < point to the smaller number.
In the corpora
- And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less.
- Overbearing speech becometh not a churl; much less do lying lips a prince.
- Luxury is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
- How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him?
- Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «less» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.