Where does “minuscule” come from?
minuscule (Latin) comes from Latin minusculus, from Latin minor, from Latin minae, from Proto-Italic *eksmenā.
minuscule (Latin): vocative masculine singular of minusculus
Definitions
- vocative masculine singular of minusculus
Ancestry of “minuscule”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | minusculus | rather less; rather small |
| 2 | Latin | minor | comparative degree of parvus; lesser, inferior,... |
| 3 | Latin | minae | projecting points, pinnacles, battlements,... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *eksmenā | — |