Where does “smallest” come from?
smallest (English) comes from English small, from Middle English smal, from Old English smæl, from Proto-West Germanic smal, from Proto-Germanic smalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- — small; little.
smallest (English): superlative form of small: most small
Definitions
- superlative form of small: most small
Ancestry of “smallest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | small | Not large or big; insignificant; few in number;... |
| 2 | Middle English | smal | Small, miniscule; Little, few, scarce; Ground... |
| 3 | Old English | smæl | narrow, slim; not broad; slender; not thick;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smal | small |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | smalaz | small |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mal- | small; little |