There is no semantic difference. It’s a personal thing. 小さい is the “technically” correct version according to every professor I ever had in college.
Also, 小さな highlights the smallness.
On a practical level, all it means is that a small number of adjectives like 小さな and 大きな must modify a noun. 小さい and 大きい, however, are not restricted this way (i.e., この本が大きい is OK but この本が大きな is not).
“小さな” is attributive form of old adjective verb “小さなり”. “小さい” is just an adjective. This is why “小さな” cannot be used without following noun.
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小さな can only be used to modify a noun.
小さい犬
小さな犬
are both right.
この犬は小さい is correct.
この犬は小さな is not correct.
There is no semantic difference. It’s a personal thing. 小さい is the “technically” correct version according to every professor I ever had in college.
Also, 小さな highlights the smallness.
On a practical level, all it means is that a small number of adjectives like 小さな and 大きな must modify a noun. 小さい and 大きい, however, are not restricted this way (i.e., この本が大きい is OK but この本が大きな is not).
“小さな” is attributive form of old adjective verb “小さなり”. “小さい” is just an adjective. This is why “小さな” cannot be used without following noun.