small English · revision 1982

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 800|origins=gem-pro *smalaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /smɔːl/, US also /smɑːl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|smal]], [[inh|ang|smæl|t=slender, narrow, small]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from [[gem-pro|*smalaz]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Its cognates are [[ofs|smel|t=narrow]], [[osx|smal]], [[nl|smal|t=narrow]], [[goh|smal]] (modern [[de|schmal|t=narrow, slender]]), [[non|smali|t=small cattle, sheep]] and [[got|𐍃𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰|tr=smalista|t=smallest]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) Outside Germanic it is related to [[grc|μῆλον|tr=mêlon|t=sheep, goat]], [[sga|mil|t=small animal]] and [[cu|малъ|tr=malŭ|t=small]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) and perhaps to [[la|malus|t=bad]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) perhaps from a root [[ine-pro|*(s)melo-]] that Etymonline glosses “smaller animal”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Slender, thin, narrow: Old English ''smæl'', recorded before 800, meant “slender, narrow” and “fine”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The general sense “not large, of little size” had already developed in Old English,^(Etymonline) and the old sense “narrow, slender” now survives mainly of the waist (about 1300) and of the small intestine.^(Etymonline) Of children, “young”, is mid-13th century, and “little in degree or amount” late 13th.^(Etymonline) “Trivial, unimportant” is mid-14th century,^(Etymonline) “having little property or trade” 1746, and “mean, petty in spirit” 1824.^(Etymonline) Of a wind it has meant “light, gentle” since 1542.^(HTOED) The noun meant a small person or animal in the early 13th century and the common people, as opposed to the great, about 1300,^(Etymonline) and ''the small of the back'' is from the 1530s.^(Etymonline) ''Small beer'' was weak beer in 1568, the sort drunk when water was unsafe,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) and Iago's “chronicle small beer” in ''Othello'' (1604) gave the sense “trifles”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) ''Small fry'' was used of little fish by 1697 and of unimportant people by 1885,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and ''small talk'' is from 1751.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Etymonline dates ''small potatoes'' from 1924, but Word Origins cites Davy Crockett's fuller ''small potatoes and few in the hill'' from 1836.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) ''Small is beautiful'' is the title of E. F. Schumacher's book of 1973.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 800 – Old English ''smæl''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 899 – adverb ''smale'', into small pieces.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 13th century – noun, a small person or animal.^(Etymonline)

+ * mid-13th century – of children, young.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 13th century – little in degree or amount.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – of the waist, slender.^(Etymonline)

+ * mid-14th century – trivial, unimportant.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1370 – ''smallish'' (Chaucer).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1518 – ''smallpox''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1530s – ''the small of the back''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1542 – of wind, light, gentle.^(HTOED)

+ * 1568 – ''small beer'', weak beer.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1604 – ''small beer'', trifles (''Othello'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1697 – ''small fry'', little fish.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1746 – having little property or trade.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1751 – ''small talk''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1824 – petty, mean in spirit.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1885 – ''small fry'', unimportant people.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Little in size, number or amount.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of little importance; trivial: ''a small matter''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Limited in scale: ''a small business''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of low status or little influence.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Young, not fully grown: ''small children''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Narrow in outlook; [[petty]]: ''a small mind''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Made to feel humbled or belittled.^(AHD)

+ # Of a letter, [[lower case]].^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of drink, weak: ''small beer''.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Into small pieces: ''chop it small''.^(AHD)

+ # Softly, without force.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The narrow part of something: ''the small of the back''.^(Etymonline)

+ # ''smalls'': small items of clothing, especially underwear.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[smallish]]

+ * [[smallness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[little]]

+ * [[smallpox]]

+ * [[slight]]

+ * [[slim]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Small is the general word among adjectives for being below average size, beside [[little]], [[tiny]], [[diminutive]], [[minute]] and [[wee]].^(AHD) RHWU notes that smaller is used of the size of concrete things (''smaller apples'') and less of amount, value or degree (''less courage'').^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}