Lítið

Lítið is an Icelandic word that functions as both an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective it means "small" or "few" and is used to describe size or amount. As an adverb it means "a little" or "not very" and can modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

In attributive position before a noun, Icelandic adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number. Lítið is the neuter singular form of the adjective; masculine and feminine forms are lítill and lítil, respectively. When the noun is definite, the adjective (like other Icelandic adjectives) takes a definite ending, as in lítið húsið "the small house" (neuter, definite). With indefinite nouns it appears as lítið hús.

Etymology: The word is native to Icelandic and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish lidt, Norwegian litt, and Swedish lite. The form is attested in Old Norse and derives from the Proto-Germanic root that gave rise to similar words across the North Germanic languages.

Usage notes: Lítið is common in everyday Icelandic. It appears in idioms such as lítið sem ekkert ("almost nothing") and in phrases indicating small quantities, such as lítið af ... (a little of ...). In contemporary prose, lítið is used with both concrete and abstract nouns to convey smallness or limited extent.