Where does “наименьший” come from?

наименьший (Russian) comes from Russian ме́ньший, from Proto-Slavic mьňьjь, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.

наименьший (Russian): the smallest, the least

Definitions

  1. the smallest, the least

Ancestry of “наименьший”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Russianме́ньшийsmaller, lesser, smallest, least
2Proto-Slavicmьňьjьsmaller, lesser; comparative degree of *malъ
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēy- →Every word from Proto-Slavic mьňьjь →Every word from Russian ме́ньший →