Where does “найменший” come from?

найменший (Ukrainian) comes from Ukrainian ме́нший, from Proto-Slavic mьňьjь, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.

найменший (Ukrainian): smallest, least; youngest (of siblings)

Definitions

  1. smallest, least; youngest (of siblings)

Ancestry of “найменший”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ukrainianме́ншийsmaller, lesser
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 Ukrainian ме́нший →