صغّرهُ

, (verbal noun تَصْغِيرٌ, TA,) He made him, or it, small, or little; as also ↓ اصفرهُ. (S, K.) You say, القِرْبَةَ ↓ اصغر He sewed the water-skin [so as to make it] small. (S, K.)

صغّرهُ فِى عُيُونِ النَّاسِ He, or it, rendered him [small, or little, i. e.,] contemptible, vile, base, or ignominious, [in the eyes of men:] (A:) and [in like manner] he, or it, rendered him vile, base, or ignominious, (TA,) or content with vileness, baseness, abasement, or ignominy. (K.)

صَغَّرْتُ شَأْنَهُ (TA in article غمز) and مِنْ شَأْنِهِ (S and TA in the same article) [I lessened his rank, or dignity].

صغّر الاِسْمَ, verbal noun تَصْغِيرٌ, He changed the noun into the diminutive form. (Msb.) This is done for several purposes: to denote the smallness of the thing signified, in itself; as in the instance of دُوَبْرَةٌ [“ a small, or little, house ”]: to denote its smallness in the eye of the speaker, when it is not small in itself; as in the saying ذَهَبَتِ الدَّرَاهِمُ إِلَّا دُرَيْهِمًا [“ the dirhems went, except a small dirhem ”]: to denote nearness; as in the instance of قُبَيْلَ الصُّبْحِ [“ a little before daybreak ”]: to denote affection and benevolence; as in the expression يَا بُنَىَّ [“ O my little (meaning dear) son ”]: to denote the greatness of the thing signified; as in the phrase سُنَيَّةٌ حَمْرَاءُ [“ a very severe year ”]: to denote praise; as when a man is described as كُنَيْفٌ مُلِيءَ عِلْمًا [“ a little pastor's-bag filled with knowledge ”]: to denote blame; as in the expression يَا فُوَيْسِقُ [“ O thou little transgressor ”]. (L, TA.) [The verbal noun, تَصْغِيرٌ, is also applied to A diminutive noun itself; as also اِسْمٌ مُصَغَّرٌ.]

See also 10.