minutus Latin · revision 3937

15 Oct 2026, 20:38 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la minuō}}
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''minūtus''' (feminine minūta, neuter minūtum, comparative minor, superlative minimus, adverb minūtim); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is the perfect participle of [[minuo|alt=minuō]] “to make smaller, diminish”, used as an adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Georges 1913) Etymonline traces [[m|la|minuere]] to [[ine-pro|*mei-|t=small]].^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Plautus has “bravo, what tiny letters!”^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant very small, tiny, as Terence's little fish and Cicero's small boats.^(OLD 2012) It meant slight or petty, as Cicero's Lysias, who sharpened himself on small cases, made of fine particles, as air in Lucretius, and showing minute knowledge, subtle.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ As a noun, ''minutus'' or ''minuta'' became a small piece, a division of time.^(Köbler 2010) Venantius Fortunatus is Köbler's first source for this.^(Köbler 2010) Romance kept it, as French [[m|fr|menu]] and Spanish [[m|es|menudo]].^(Wiktionary) English ''minute'' “sixtieth part of an hour” comes from Medieval Latin ''minuta'', and the adjective ''minute'' from ''minūtus''.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of tiny letters.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of little fish.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of fine particles.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 536–c. 610 AD – Venantius Fortunatus uses it as a noun.^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 14th century – English ''minute'' (noun) is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Small, tiny, [[m|en|minute]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Slight, [[m|en|petty]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Made of fine particles, fine.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Subtle, precise.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ===Noun===
+ # A small piece; a division of time.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[minūtal]]
+ * [[minūtia]]
+ * [[*minūtiāre]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[minuo]]
+ * [[en|minute]]
+ 
+ ==Usage notes==
+ Döderlein says ''parvus'' is natural, inherent smallness, while ''minutus'' is smallness that has been made, as by dividing.^(Döderlein 1874)
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}