Etymology of the English word diminutive
the English word
diminutivederived from the Old French word
diminutifderived from the Latin word
diminutusderived from the Latin word
diminuere (shatter; break; dash to pieces)
derived from the New Latin word
di-derived from the Greek word
di-, δι-, δί-
derived from the Greek word
dis, δίς (double; twice)
derived from the Latin word
minuere (lessen, reduce, diminish)
derived from the Latin word
minor (those inferior in rank, grade, age)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*mei-derived from the Latin word
parvus (small, little, cheap)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*pau-derived from the Latin word
diminutivusderived from the Late Latin word
deminutivus (diminutive)
derived from the Latin word
deminutus (diminished; small, diminutive)
derived from the Latin word
deminuere (make smaller; cut up small; lessen; weaken; curtail; impair)
using the Late Latin prefix
de-derived from the Latin word
de (away; down)
derived from the Latin word
minuere (lessen, reduce, diminish)
derived from the Latin word
minor (those inferior in rank, grade, age)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*mei-derived from the Latin word
parvus (small, little, cheap)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*pau-Cognates
Dutch
diminutief, French
diminutif, German
Diminutiv, Italian
diminutivo, Norwegian
diminutiv, Spanish
diminutivo, Swedish
diminutivUsage
Word found in Modern English