minime

Forms

minimē (superlative)^[1] It is also spelled minumē.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin minimus (“smallest, least”) + -ē, the superlative adverb beside parum.^[2][1] De Vaan explains minimus as a productive derivative of the comparative stem ⟨*minōs⟩ of minor (“smaller”), from Proto-Italic *minōs (“less”) and Proto-Indo-European *meih₁-iō̆s- (“less”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has ex malīs multīs malum quod minimumst, id minimēst malum, “of many evils, the one that is smallest is least an evil”, and loquitur lautē et minimē sordidē, “he speaks elegantly and not at all vulgarly”.^[2] Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Minimē is the superlative “least, in the least degree” (Terence: id mea minimē rēfert, “that matters least to me”).^[2][1] Very often it amounts to a negative, “by no means, not at all”, and alone it answers a question with “no, not at all”.^[2][1] With numbers it means “at least” (Celsus).^[2]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: minimēst malum;^[2][4] minimē sordidē.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence: id mea minimē rēfert.^[2][4]
• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it with numbers, “at least”.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. least, in the least degree.^[2][1]
2. By no means, not at all;^[2][1] no (as an answer).^[1]
3. At least (with numbers).^[2]

Related words

• minimus
• parvus
• minor
• parum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de