Where does “small” come from?

small (Low German) comes from Middle Low German smal, from Old Saxon smal, from Proto-Germanic smalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- — small; little.

small (Low German): narrow; small, slender

Definitions

  1. narrow; small, slender

Ancestry of “small”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germansmalsmall
2Old Saxonsmal—
3Proto-Germanicsmalazsmall
4Proto-Indo-European(s)mal-small; little
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smalaz →Every word from Old Saxon smal →
small — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer