Where does “minor” come from?

Minor comes from Latin minor, derived from Latin minae, which traces to Proto-Indo-European mey-, itself from men-, ultimately from peh₂w-.

minor (English): Of little significance or importance; Of a scale...

Definitions

  1. Of little significance or importance; Of a scale...

Ancestry of “minor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishminor—
2Latinminorcomparative degree of parvus; lesser, inferior,...
3Latinminaeprojecting points, pinnacles, battlements,...
4Proto-Italic*eksmenā—

Words derived from “minor”

Every word from Proto-Italic *eksmenā →Every word from Latin minae →Every word from Latin minor →