Where does “min” come from?
min (Translingual) comes from English minute, from Middle English mynute, from Old French minute, from Latin minuta, from Latin minūtus, from Proto-Italic minwō, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
Ancestry of “min”, step by step
min traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English minute
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | minute | A unit of time equal to sixty seconds; A short... |
| 2 | Middle English | mynute | minute; A sixtieth part; A coin of little worth |
| 3 | Old French | minute | minute one sixtieth of an hour |
| 4 | Latin | minuta | nominative feminine singular of minūtus;... |
| 5 | Latin | minūtus | diminished, having been diminished |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | minwō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |
via Latin minimum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | minimum | accusative masculine singular of minimus;... |
| 2 | Latin | minimus | least, smallest |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | *(s)mey(h₁)- | — |