Where does “min” come from?
I need to flag an issue with this request: the etymology chain provided is problematic for writing an accurate summary. The chain shows: - English minute → Latin minutus → Latin minimus → Proto-Indo-European men- (repeated 4 times) Problems: 1. The headword is listed as "min" but the chain traces "minute"—these are different words 2. The chain repeats "Proto-Indo-European men-" four times without variation or explanation 3. The "known meaning" is marked "(unknown)" which contradicts the clear meaning of "minute" 4. There's no clear sense development shown through the repetitions **I cannot write an accurate one-sentence summary** that follows your rules (which require naming every language and keeping original spellings exactly) because the chain itself appears corrupted or incomplete. Could you clarify: - Is the headword "minute" or "min"?
min (English): Abbreviation of minute; Clipping of minute; less
Definitions
- Abbreviation of minute; Clipping of minute; less
Ancestry of “min”, step by step
min traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English minute
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | minute | A unit of time equal to sixty seconds; A short... |
| 2 | Middle English | mynute | minute; A sixtieth part; A coin of little worth |
| 3 | Old French | minute | minute one sixtieth of an hour |
| 4 | Latin | minuta | nominative feminine singular of minūtus;... |
| 5 | Latin | minūtus | diminished, having been diminished |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | minwō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |
via Middle English min
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | min | First-person singular genitive determiner: my;... |
| 2 | Old English | mīn | my, mine |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *mīn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mīnaz | my, mine; 1st person singular possessive |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | méynos | my; mine |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mei | to fix, to build fortifications or fences |