This diminutive noun denotes a small boy or young child. In John's Gospel, it identifies the lad who provides five barley loaves and two fish for Jesus to multiply. The diminutive form emphasizes the child's youth and small stature, which heightens the contrast with the massive crowd to be fed. The term conveys both affection and insignificance: a mere boy with a meager lunch becomes the instrument for a miracle feeding thousands. Cross-linguistically, diminutive force is preserved.