Few has 5 different meanings across 5 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Det · Pron · Proper Noun
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number
"a few weeks ago"
"a few more wagons than usual"
"an invalid's pleasures are few and far between"
"few roses were still blooming"
"few women have led troops in battle"
An indefinite, but usually small, number of.
"A few stray clouds drifted across the otherwise clear blue sky."
Few people, few things.
"Few people showed up to the party because everyone was sick."
The pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain.
"The few pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain saved the country from invasion."
The word "few" comes from Old English fēaw, which traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning "few" or "small." It is related to Latin words for little and poor, sharing a common ancient origin with similar terms in Germanic languages.