Where does “small” come from?

small (Middle English) comes 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.

small (Middle English): Alternative form of smal

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of smal

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smalaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic smal →
small — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer