minute

minute
\ \ [14] Latin minūtussmall’ was a derivative of the verb minuerelessen’ (source of English diminish), which itself was based on the element min- ‘small’. In medieval Latin the term pars minuta primafirst small part’ was applied to a ‘sixtieth part of a whole’ – originally of a circle, later of an hour (likewise a second was originally a secunda minuta, a sixtieth of a sixtieth). Hence minūta itself came to be used for the unit of time, and that was the original meaning of minute when English acquired it via Old French. Its use for ‘note, record’ may derive from the Latin expression minuta scriptura, which denoted the writing of a rough draft in ‘small’ writing. The adjective minutesmall’ was an independent 15th-century borrowing direct from Latin. A French descendant of minūtus is the adjective menusmall’; its extended sense ‘detailed’ has led to its noun use for ‘list’, and the expression menu de repasmeal list’ has given English menu [19].
\ \ Other members of the extended family of English words that come ultimately from Latin min- include métier, mince, minim [15], minimum [17], minister, minor, minstrel, minuet [17], minus, minuscule [18], and minutia [15].
\ \ Cf.MENU, MÉTIER, MINCE, MINISTER, MINOR, MINSTREL, MINUS, MINUSCULE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • MINUTE — Forme initiale et essentielle de l’acte notarié rédigé pour instrumenter un acte juridique dont le notaire a été constitué témoin privilégié et auquel il apporte la sanction de l’autorité qui l’a investi. Malgré son caractère matériel de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • minute — 1. (mi nu t ) s. f. 1°   La soixantième partie d une heure. Une demi minute. La minute contient soixante secondes.    Compter les minutes, être dans une attente qui fait trouver le temps long. •   Sitôt que quelqu un arrivait... je sortais en… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Minute — Min ute, a. Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes. [1913 Webster] {Minute bell}, a bell tolled at intervals of a minute, as to give notice of a death or a funeral. {Minute book}, a book in which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • minute — Ⅰ. minute [1] ► NOUN 1) a period of time equal to sixty seconds or a sixtieth of an hour. 2) (a minute) informal a very short time. 3) (also arc minute or minute of arc) a sixtieth of a degree of angular measurement …   English terms dictionary

  • Minute — Mi*nute (m[imac]*n[=u]t or m[i^]*n[=u]t ), a. [L. minutus, p. p. of minuere to lessen. See {Minish}, {Minor}, and cf. {Menu}, {Minuet}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Very small; little; tiny; fine; slight; slender; inconsiderable; as, minute details. Minute …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • minute — minute1 [min′it] n. [OFr < ML minuta < L (pars) minuta (prima), (first) small (part), term used by Ptolemy for the sixtieth part of a unit in his system of fractions (of the circle, radius, day, later applied also to the hour): see MINUTE2] …   English World dictionary

  • Minute — Min ute (?; 277), n. [LL. minuta a small portion, small coin, fr. L. minutus small: cf. F. minute. See 4th {Minute}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. m. or min.; as, 4 h. 30 m.) [1913 Webster] Four minutes …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Minute — minutė statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas –… …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minute — minutė statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas –… …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minutė — statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas – minutė …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minute — Minute, Scheda, Schedula B. ex Iustiniano. Il vient de Minutus, Venant de Minuo. Car ordinairement on escrit une minute de lettre menuë, et tellement quellement escrite. Et que ainsi soit, il apper par ce que le contraire de la minute nous… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

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