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): superlative degree of ма́лый , superlative degree...
Definitions
- superlative degree of ма́лый , superlative degree...
Ancestry of “наименьший”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | ме́ньший | — |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | mьňьjь | smaller, lesser; comparative degree of *malъ |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |