less

英 [les] 美 [lɛs]

less 较少的

来自Proto-Germanic*leis-izo,更小，*leis,小的，-izo,比较级后缀。用于little的比较级形式。

less: less: [OE] In origin, less is a comparative form. It goes back ultimately to Indo-European *loiso- ‘small’, which in prehistoric Germanic had the comparative suffix added to it to produce *laisiz – whence English less. It is not found in any of the other modern Germanic languages.
=> least
less: Old English læs (adv.), læssa (adj.), comparative of læs "small;" from Proto-Germanic *lais-izo "smaller" (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian les "less;" Middle Dutch lise "soft, gentle," German leise "soft"), from PIE root *leis- (2) "small" (cognates: Lithuanian liesas "thin"). Formerly also "younger," as a translation of Latin minor, a sense now obsolete except in James the Less. Used as a comparative of little, but not related to it. The noun is Old English læsse.

1. The affixes " un - " and " - less " are often used make negative words, such as unhappy or careless.: 词缀un - 和 -less 常用来构成否定词, 如unhappy和careless.

2. These files have been zipped up to take up less disk space.: 这些文档已经进行了压缩，以节省磁盘空间。

3. He is lined up for no less than four US television interviews.: 多达4家美国电视媒体排期邀请他上节目接受采访。

4. Other amenities, less commonly available, include a library and exercise room.: 还有一些不太常有的设施，包括图书馆和健身房。

5. His team-mates opened hotel windows, shouting "Jump!" and somewhat less printable banter.: 他的队友打开了酒店的窗户，大叫着“跳！”，还开了一些上不了台面的玩笑。