meno Italian · revision 37717

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini|origins=ine-pro *meih₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈme.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''meno''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Before another word it is often shortened to ''men''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) Old Italian also had ''mino''.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|minus|t=less]], the neuter of [[m|la|minor|t=smaller]] used as an adverb.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The adjective serves as the comparative of [[m|la|parvus|t=small]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The same word is [[fr|moins]], [[oc|menhs]], [[ca|menys]], [[es|menos]], [[pt|menos]] and [[sc|minus]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ DELI traces it to an Indo-European root for smallness, with the vowel influenced by [[m|la|minuō|t=to lessen]].^(DELI 1999) De Vaan reconstructs an old comparative [[ine-pro|*meih₁-i̯ōs-|t=less]], reshaped in Italic after the verb meaning “to lessen”; related are [[osc|mins|t=less]], [[grc|μείων|tr=meíōn|t=smaller]] and [[got|𐌼𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=mins|t=less]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ Through French the Latin word also gave a prefix: French ⟨mes-⟩ is the source of Italian [[mis-]].^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT and Nocentini date ''meno'' to 1211, but DELI points out that in that Florentine account book the word is only the editor's expansion of an abbreviation.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) DELI's earliest secure records are before 1250, the adjective “smaller in quantity” in Maestro Torrigiano and the noun “the lesser amount” in Giacomo da Lentini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adverb “in smaller measure” is in Dante (before 1321) and Francesco da Barberino (before 1348), and Dante also uses it for what is lacking in a measurement.^(DELI 1999) The Peruzzi account books (1308–1380) use it in subtraction and as a preposition “except”.^(DELI 1999) ''I meno'' “the minority” is in Giovan Battista Gelli before 1563; as a mathematical sign it is recorded in 1741 for subtraction and in 1748, in Maria Gaetana Agnesi, for a negative number.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The phrase ''fare a meno'' “to do without” was described by D'Alberti in 1803 as a French turn of phrase that had become usual in Florence and elsewhere.^(DELI 1999) ''Meno che meno'' as an emphatic “certainly not” is recorded by Tommaseo in 1869.^(DELI 1999) As a musical direction (''meno mosso'' “less fast”) the word passed into English in 1724 and into French and German.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1211 – A doubtful first record, in a Florentine account book.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini and Maestro Torrigiano use ''meno''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1308–1380 – The Peruzzi account books use it for subtraction and for “except”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1724 – English ''meno'' as a musical term is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1741 – ''Meno'' is the name of the minus sign.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1803 – D'Alberti calls ''fare a meno'' a French turn of phrase.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|less]], to a smaller extent; with adjectives and adverbs it forms the comparative of inferiority, and with the article the relative superlative: ''Oggi piove meno di ieri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # After ''o'', in doubtful or alternative questions, not: ''Dimmi se vieni o meno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' [[m|en|minus]]: ''nove meno quattro''; also in times, temperatures and school marks: ''sono le otto meno un quarto'', ''sette meno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Less, fewer (invariable): ''C'era meno traffico del solito.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|except]], but: ''Sono venuti tutti meno lui.''^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The least, the smallest amount, ''i meno'', the minority.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' The minus sign.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[almeno]]

+ * [[nemmeno]]

+ * [[perlomeno]]

+ * [[dammeno]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[minore]]

+ * [[minimo]]

+ * [[più]]

+ * [[mis-]]

+ * [[la|minus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases include ''fare a meno di'' “to do without”, ''venire meno'' “to fail; to faint”, ''più o meno'' “more or less”, ''meno male'' “thank goodness”, ''a meno che'' “unless” and ''in men che non si dica'' “in no time”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) When no second term follows the verb, ''di meno'' is used: ''devi mangiare di meno''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}