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
Ancestry of “small”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | smal | small |
| 2 | Old Saxon | smal | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smalaz | small |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mal- | small; little |