Few
/fjuː/noun
A small number of people or things.
Did you know?English few comes from a Germanic root meaning “to be happy or content,” which is why its cousins in other languages can mean “rich,” “happy,” or “enough,” not just “not many.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peku-
“Property, livestock, movable wealth”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fawaz
“Few, small in number”
Old English
English
fǣwa
“Few, little in number”
Middle English
English
fewe
“Few, not many”
Modern English
English
few
“A small number”