Obs. Also 3 lutli, -i(e)n, littlin, 3–4 litelen, 4 littel, -yl, lutle, luttul, 5 lytil, -el, letil, lityll. [OE. lýtlian, f. lýtel LITTLE a.]
1. trans. To make little, diminish; to reduce in size, amount or importance. Also with away.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxix. § 1. Þonne lytlað ðæt his anweald, & ecð his ermða.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues (1888), 49. He litlede him seluen to-foren mannes eiȝen.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 539. Oft ich singe for heom þe more For lutli sum of heore sore.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter viii. 6. Þou liteled him a litel wight Lesse fra þine aungeles bright.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter xvii[i]. 46. Y shal littelel [sic] hem as poudre.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 423. Departing litliþ strengþe.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 85. Be it put vpon a softe fyr, to þe þrydde party be lytild away.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 38. Nother Marshalls, nother usshers of hall … owe not to little or withdrawe any hole stuffe of fleshe or fyshe.
1643. Rogers, Naaman, 75. Oh pray God to little the, to pare off thy superfluities.
b. To belittle, extenuate (a sin).
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 61. She [Eue] wende to haue lytelyd her synne.
1611. W. Sclater, Key (1629), 164. Paul stiles himselfe the chiefe of sinners, imputes the crucifying of Christ to the ignorance of the Iewes; so littleing a sinne more grieuous. Ibid. (1627), Exp. 2 Thess. (1629), 291. Its natural to most, to litle their sins.
2. intr. To become little, be diminished; to dwindle, wane.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John iii. 30. Hine ʓedæfnað þætte auexe mec uutudlice þæt ic lytleʓe [Ags. Gosp. waniʓe, L. minui].
a. 1225. St. Marher., 5. Ne his makelese lufsum lec ne mei neauer littlin ne aliggen.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 365. Of þulli blisse, þat hit ne me neauer mare lutlin ne wursin.
c. 1325. Old Age, in Rel. Ant., II. 211. I werne, I lutle, ther-for I murne.
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 145. His Godhede luttulde not þeiȝ he lowe lihte.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., 20. They lityll and deye by longe contynuaunce of ghostli siknesse.
Hence † Littling vbl. sb.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 102. If he conseille þe to lytelynge of þi þinges þat þou hauys in tresour.
