Etymology

minimal

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Today it means: The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree. Full definition →

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English minimum ← Latin minimum
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂urós
  3. Proto-Italic*pauros
  4. Old Latinparvos
  5. Latinparvus
  6. Latinminimus
  7. Latinminimum
  8. Englishminimum
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  11. English todayminimal

From minimum + -al.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.