Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “small” come from?

Small comes from Middle English smal, from Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic smalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mel-.

small (English): Not large or big; insignificant; few in number;...

Definitions

  1. Not large or big; insignificant; few in number;...

Ancestry of “small”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsmalSmall, miniscule; Little, few, scarce; Ground...
2Old Englishsmælnarrow, slim; not broad; slender; not thick;...
3Proto-West Germanicsmalsmall
4Proto-Germanicsmalazsmall
5Proto-Indo-European(s)mal-small; little

Words derived from “small”

  • smaller
  • smallpox
  • smallness
  • smallish
  • smallmouth
  • smalltown
  • nonsmall
  • Smallville
  • smalls
  • smalltime
  • ultrasmall
  • smallclothes
  • smally
  • smallsword
  • supersmall
  • smallie
  • smallgoods
  • besmall
  • oversmall
  • antismallpox
  • smallcapped
  • smallball
  • smallfolk
  • small-town
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- →