modicus

Modicus, modica, modicum, from modus, "a measure": something that keeps within its measure. In classical prose that means moderate or restrained, and it is a compliment - a modicus vir knows when to stop.

Late and biblical Latin slides it towards plain smallness, and the difference is often the whole point of a sentence. Modica fides is "little faith", not "well-regulated faith", and reading it the classical way turns a rebuke into praise. The neuter modicum works as a noun meaning "a little", and post modicum as a phrase of time, "in a little while". The adverb modice covers both senses: moderately, and only slightly. English keeps modicum unaltered, and modest and moderate come from the same measure by way of French.