Where does “little” come from?
Little comes from Middle English litel, from Old English lytel, from Proto-Germanic lūtilaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewd-.
little (English): Small in size; Insignificant, trivial; Very young
Definitions
- Small in size; Insignificant, trivial; Very young
Ancestry of “little”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | litel | little |
| 2 | Old English | lȳtel | little |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | lūtil | bent; tending to stoop; crouching |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lūtilaz | bent; tending to stoop; crouching; little |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |
Words derived from “little”