minuto Italian · revision 37687

+ {{homograph|1|small, minute}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1273|origins=la minuō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /miˈnu.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''minuto''' (feminine minuta, masculine plural minuti, feminine plural minute, superlative minutissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include ''menuto'' and northern ''menudo'' and ''menù''.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[inh|la|minūtus|t=small, tiny]], properly the past participle of [[m|la|minuō|t=to make smaller, diminish]],^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) which comes from [[m|la|minus|t=less]], the neuter of [[m|la|minor|t=smaller]].^(Nocentini 2010) DELI notes its use in the Latin phrase ⟨populus minutus⟩, the common people.^(DELI 1999) The same adjective lives in [[fr|menu]], [[oc|menut]], [[ca|menut]], [[es|menudo]], [[pt|miúdo]], [[sc|menudu]] and [[ro|mărunt]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The Italian [[menu]], from French, is a doublet.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Latin derivatives gave other Italian words: [[m|la|minūtia|t=small particle]] became the learned [[minuzia]] and, with a northern sound pattern, [[minugia]] “gut strings”, and the verb [[la-vul|*minutiō]] lies behind [[sminuzzare]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Patecchio of Cremona, in the 13th century, for something small in size.^(TLIO) DELI's earliest date is 1273, in a Florentine text, for “of little importance”;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) “of low condition” follows in Brunetto Latini before 1294 and “careful in every detail” in Dante (1293–1294).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The plain physical sense “small” is first dated by DELI to Boccaccio (1348–1353), and “slight, thin” of a person to Giovanni Morelli before 1444.^(DELI 1999) In Florence the ''popolo minuto'' were the members of the lesser guilds.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''Al minuto'' “retail” referred, as Pompeo Neri explained before 1776, to small daily trade.^(DELI 1999) A ''minuto'' was also a small coin of Genoa, Verona and Sardinia from the 14th century.^(DEI|2467)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ''Minuta'' “first draft” (14th century) is short for ''lettera minuta'', from the small handwriting used for such letters.^(DELI 1999) ''Minuteria'' “small ornamental objects” is recorded as early as 1299–1300, and ''minuzioso'' “meticulous” before 1808 in Cesarotti.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1273 – ''Minuto'' “of little importance” appears in a Florentine text.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''minuto'' “detailed”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for people of low condition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1299–1300 – ''Minuteria'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''minuto'' “small”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1444 – Giovanni Morelli uses it for a slight person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – The noun ''minuto'' “trifle” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Very [[m|en|small]], tiny; made of tiny parts: ''Aveva una scrittura minuta e ordinata.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of a person, slight, [[m|en|delicate]] in build or features: ''È una ragazza minuta ma fortissima.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Of little importance, [[m|en|petty]]: ''spese minute''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative, literary)'' Of the lower classes: ''popolo minuto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Detailed, [[m|en|meticulous]]: ''un’analisi minuta dei dati''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # In ''al minuto'', [[m|en|retail]], in small quantities: ''vendita al minuto''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[minuta]]

+ * [[minutaglia]]

+ * [[minutamente]]

+ * [[minutante]]

+ * [[minuteria]]

+ * [[minutezza]]

+ * [[minuzia]]

+ * [[minuzioso]]

+ * [[minuziosità]]

+ * [[minuzzolo]]

+ * [[minugia]]

+ * [[sminuzzare]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|minute of time}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1282, Restoro d'Arezzo|origins=la minuō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /miˈnu.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''minuto''' ''m'' (plural minuti)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The unit of time is [[bor|la-lat|minūtum|t=small thing, particle]], the neuter of the Latin adjective used as a noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Nocentini explains [[fr|minute]], the source of [[m|en|minute]] and [[de|Minute]], as an ellipsis of [[la-med|pars minuta|t=smallest part]]: ⟨pars minuta prima⟩ was the sixtieth part of the hour and ⟨pars minuta secunda⟩ the sixtieth part of that, whence the Italian ⟨minuto primo⟩ and [[secondo]].^(Nocentini 2010) DEI and GRADIT compare the French word, recorded from the 13th century.^(DEI|2467)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record of the noun is in Restoro d'Arezzo in 1282.^(TLIO) DELI's first record is the sixtieth part of a degree of a circle, in Zucchero Bencivenni and Boccaccio in the 14th century; the minute of time is dated 1561, in Alessandro Citolini.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative sense “moment, instant” is recorded before 1735 in Niccolò Forteguerri.^(DELI 1999) ''Minuto secondo'' for the sixtieth part of a minute is from the 17th century.^(DEI|2467) GRADIT also records old units of area and length called ''minuto'' in the Papal States.^(GRADIT 2003) German borrowed ''Minuto'' in 1806.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo has the first record of the noun.^(TLIO)

+ * 14th century – Zucchero Bencivenni and Boccaccio use ''minuto'' for a sixtieth of a degree.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1561 – Alessandro Citolini uses ''minuto'' for a unit of time.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 17th century – ''Minuto secondo'' is recorded.^(DEI|2467)

+ * Before 1735 – Forteguerri uses ''minuto'' “moment”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|minute]], the sixtieth part of an hour, sixty seconds: ''L’autobus passa ogni venti minuti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # A very short time, a [[m|en|moment]]: ''Aspettami un minuto, arrivo subito.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(geometry)'' The sixtieth part of a [[m|en|degree]] of angle.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(historical)'' Old units of area and of length.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[minutaggio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[minuzzo]]

+ * [[minore]]

+ * [[diminuire]]

+ * [[la|minutus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases with the noun include ''avere i minuti contati'' “to be in a great hurry”, ''spaccare il minuto'' “to be perfectly punctual” and ''minuto di recupero'' “minute of stoppage time”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}