English
minus
Minus comes from Latin minus, from parvus ‘small, little’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘few, small’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparvus‘small, little’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEminuscomparative form of parvus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mynus
- Englishearliest quotation 1808–10minus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘few, small’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparvus‘small, little’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEminuscomparative form of parvus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mynus
- Englishearliest quotation 1808–10minus
Earliest quotation: 1808–10, William Hickey, Memoirs of a Georgian Rake: “The races being finished, we left Epsom for London,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘few, small’
mean, community, common, met, commission, communication, minister, mess, meal, communist, mutual, communicate, ministry, minute, immune, mere, commit, minor, compromise, menu, ammunition, immunity, missile, communism, municipality, communal, mole, min, communion, dismiss, premise, mural, ammo, mayhem, noodle, moor, commune, remuneration, intermittent, monolith, 79 more
Today it means
prep Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / minus