Where does “diminutive” come from?
Diminutive comes from Middle French diminutif, from Latin diminutivum, derived from Latin deminuo, composed of Latin de- and a root from Proto-Indo-European mey-.
diminutive (English): Very small; Serving to diminish; Of or pertaining...
Definitions
- Very small; Serving to diminish; Of or pertaining...
Ancestry of “diminutive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | diminutif | — |
| 2 | Latin | diminutivum | — |
| 3 | Latin | deminuo | I make smaller; I diminish, lessen or reduce; I... |
| 4 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 5 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 6 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 7 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |