many vs only a few

many

det
  • An indefinite large number of. 

  • Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the number of people or things. 

adj
  • Existing in large number; numerous. 

pron
  • An indefinite large number of people or things. 

noun
  • A considerable number. 

  • A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd. 

only a few

How often have the words many and only a few occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )