Pokorny's dictionary : List with all references

Number: 1245

Root: mei-5 mi-neu-

English meaning: to lessen, small

German meaning: `mindern'

Derivatives: Adj. mi-nu- `klein'

Material: Ai. minā́ti, minṓti `mindert, schädigt, hindert', mī́yatē, mīyátē `mindert sich', Partiz. Perf. mītá-; manyu-mī- `den Groll mindernd, vernichtend';

gr. μινύθω `mindere', Adj. *μινυ-ς in μινυ-ώριος `kurzlebig', μίνυνθα `ein kleines Weilchen, nur kurze Zeit' (Akk. *μίνυν, erw. nach δη-θά); μείων, μει̃ον `geringer', nach πλείων für *μείνων `das noch in ἀμείνων `besser' = `*nicht minder' erhalten ist (*mei-no-);

lat. ni-mis (`*nicht zu wenig' =) `allzusehr' (*ne-mi-is), nimius Adj (*ne-mi-os); lat. minor, n. und Adv. minus `kleiner', minimus `der kleinste' (*minu-mos), minister `Untergebener, Diener' (nach magister; osk. minstreis `minoris'), minerrimus ( : minus nach vet-errimus : -us), minuō `vermindere', osk. menvum `minuere' (wohl mit nachlässigem e für i);

corn. minow `verkleinern, mindern', mbret. mynhuigenn, nbret. minvik `mie de pain';

ndd. minn, minne `klein, gering, mager' ist aus dem Komparativ rückgebildet; Kompar. got. minniza, aisl. minni, ahd. minniro `geringer, minder', Superl. got. minnistr, ahd. minnist, aisl. minnstr `kleinste, mindeste' (-nn- aus -nu̯-, idg. *minu- mit neuer echter Steigerungsbildung durch -izon-, -ista-), Adv. got. mins (*minniz), aisl. minnr, ahd. ags. min `geringer, weniger';

abg. mьníjь (f. mьńьši) `kleiner, geringer, jünger' (*mьnvjь-jь);

hierher auch lit. máila `Kleinigkeit, kleine Fische', lett. maĩle `kleiner Fisch', slav.*mělъ-kъ in altserb. mioki `seicht', čech. mělký `klein, seicht', měliti `zerbröckeln', und aisl. mjōr, mjār, mǣr `schmal, dünn' aus *maiwa-, *maiwi-; toch. В maiwe `klein, jung'.

References: WP. II 242, WH. II 92 f., Trautmann 165, 184.

Pages: 711

PIE database: PIE database

Indo-European etymology :

Proto-IE: *(e)mey-

Meaning: small, little

Hittite: ammijant- 'klein' (Tischler 22 basically without etymology)

Tokharian: A, B mi- 'hurt, harm (grievously)' (Adams 460)

Old Indian: minoti, minā́ti, mīnāti, pass. mī́yate, mīyáte, ptc. mīta- (in pra-mīta-) `to lessen, diminish, destroy'; manyu-mī- `destroying hostile fury'

Old Greek: minǘthō `geringer werden, dahinschwinden', minǘ-zdēo- = oligóbios Hsch., minǘ-ōro-, minü-ṓrio- `kurze Zeit lebend', adv. mínüntha `eine kleine Weile, nur kurze Zeit'; comp. méi̯ōn, n. mêi̯on `kleiner', mêi̯o-n n. `Kleinvieh (Schaf, Lamm), das an den Apaturien geopfert wurde'

Slavic: *mьnjь(jь)

Germanic: *minn-iz-a- adj., *minn-ist-a- adj., *minnizV, -azV adv.

Latin: minor, -ōris, n. minus `kleiner, geringer', pl. `kleine Leute; Nachkommen'; adv. minus `weniger'; minimus, -a `der kleinste', minister, -trī m. `Diener', minuō, -ere `verkleinern, verringern, minden, schmälern'; adv. nimis `allzusehr', nimius, -a `übermässig unmässig, zu gross'; permitiēs, -ēī f. `Verderben'

Other Italic: Osk menvum `minuere', min<s> `minus', minive `minōre'

Celtic: *min- > Corn minow `verkleinern, mindern', MBret mynhuigenn `mie de pain', Bret minvik `mie de pain'

Russ. meaning: маленький

References: WP II 242

Comments: Note a very frequent -n-suffixation in this root (suggesting that *mein- could be its original shape, with subsequent reanalyses).

Vasmer's dictionary :

Word: ме́нее,

Near etymology: ме́ньше -- нареч., ме́ньший, меньшо́й, укр. ме́нше, ме́нший, блр. ме́нше, ме́ншы, др.-русск., ст.-слав. мьн̂е "minus", мьн̂ии, мьн̂ьши, мьн̂е ἑλάττων (Супр.), сербохорв. ма̏њ "кроме", ма̏њма "меньше", словен. mànj, mȃnjši, чеш. méně "менее", menší, слвц. menší, польск. mniej, mniejszy, в.-луж. mjenje, mjeńši, н.-луж. ḿeńej, ḿеńšу.

Further etymology: Праслав. *mьnjes-, mьnjьš-, сравн. степ.; родственно лат. minor, -ōris "меньший", minus "меньше", греч. μινύθω "сокращаю", μείων, μεῖον "меньший" (вместо *μείνων по аналогии πλείων), др.-ирл. menb "маленький", корн. minow "уменьшать, сокращать", гот. minnizа "меньший, менее значительный", mins "меньше", minnists "самый маленький", др.-инд. mināti "сокращает, вредит, препятствует"; см. Вальде--Гофм. 2, 92 и сл.; Траутман, ВSW 184; Уленбек, Aind. Wb. 224; Файст, 362; Вайан, RЕS 9, 5 и сл. Подробнее см. минова́ть.

Pages: 2,598

Germanic etymology :

Proto-Germanic: *minniza-, *minnista-, *minniz, -az

Meaning: less

IE etymology: IE etymology

Gothic: comp. mins adv. `less'; comp. minniza adj. `lesser, younger', sup. *minnist-s `smallest, least (important)'; minznan wk. `diminish become less'

Old Norse: comp. minn-r, miδ-r adv. `weniger', comp. minni adj. `weniger', sup. minnst-r

Norwegian: comp. mindre adv., adj.

Swedish: comp. mindre adv., adj., sup. minst

Danish: mindre adj.

Old English: { minn `klein, gering, niedrig' }; min `geringer, weniger'

Old Frisian: min

Old Saxon: comp. minnera, sup. minnist

Middle Dutch: min adv., comp. minre, sup. minst

Dutch: min adv., comp. minder, sup. minst

Middle Low German: min adv., comp. minner

Low German: minn, minne `klein, gering, mager'

Old High German: comp. minniro (8.Jh.) `kleiner (an Grösse, Zahl), geringer (an Wert, Stand, Macht)', sup. minnisto (9.Jh.); min adv. `geringer, weniger' (8.Jh.)

Middle High German: min adv. weniger, minder'; comp. minner, minre, minder, sup. minnest, minst

German: minder, mindest