jmdict 2079030 Active (id#2200671)
大は小を兼ねる
【 だいはしょうをかねる 】
  1. [exp,v1] [proverb]
    • the greater embraces the less
    • better too big than too small
Conjugations
History:
    • A 2022-08-01 04:02:33 Jim Breen
    • Comments
      Add POS to proverbs
-*- via bulkupd.py -*-
    • Diff
      @@ -11,0 +12 @@
+<pos>&v1;</pos>
    • A 2014-12-17 02:26:01 Rene Malenfant
    • Comments
      figuratively sure
    • Refs
      gg5:
 大は小を兼ねる.　The greater includes [serves for] the lesser. ｜ The large embraces the functions of the small.
=====
eij:
    The greater embraces the less.〔ことわざ〕
    Too big is better than too small.
    • A* 2014-12-17 02:10:11 Marcus Richert
    • Comments
      I get 39 hits on google books (some duplicates) among 
them this gem from 1855 from the "Council Journal of the 
Legislative Assembly of Kansas"
"For support of the concluding inference, the well known 
rule of law that the greater embraces the less, will be 
recognized as both applicable and sufficient ..."
_
I hadn't heard of it is and I guess it appers to be quite 
obscure by now, if not in Kansas 1855. Not sure if it's a 
great lit though, "兼ねる" = embrace?
    • A* 2014-12-16 22:59:04 Rene Malenfant
    • Comments
      is the added gloss something that people actually know? "the greater embraces the less" gets 76 google hits, many in relation to japanese.  seems like chokuyaku to me; should be a lit gloss if included at all
    • A* 2014-12-12 06:46:33 Marcus Richert
    • Diff
      @@ -12 +12,2 @@
-<pos>&v1;</pos>
+<misc>&proverb;</misc>
+<gloss>the greater embraces the less</gloss>
  6. (show/hide 2 older history records)
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