English
tiny
Tiny comes from Middle English tine, tyne ‘very small’ + -y; its further origin is uncertain.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tine‘very small’
- Englishearliest quotation 1924tiny
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tine‘very small’
- Englishearliest quotation 1924tiny
Earliest quotation: 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End): “‘You know I loved your husband like a brother,…”
Every English word from Middle English tine
Today it means
adj Very small.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English tine / tiny