Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mini-me” come from?

mini-me (English) comes from English mini-, from English miniature, from Italian miniatura, from Italian miniare, from Latin miniare, from Latin minium, from Latin -um, from Proto-Italic *-om.

mini-me (English): A person who is a miniature, but otherwise...

Definitions

  1. A person who is a miniature, but otherwise...

Ancestry of “mini-me”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishmini-Smaller version of an item than usual; With the...
2EnglishminiatureGreatly diminished size or form; reduced scale; A...
3Italianminiaturaminiature; thumbnail
4Italianminiareto illuminate; to miniate
5Latinminiare—
6Latinminiumnative cinnabar; red lead, minium
7Latin-umnominative neuter singular of -us; accusative...
8Proto-Italic*-om—
9Proto-Indo-European*-oHom—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *-oHom →