minusculus

Latin

Etymology

From minor (“less, lesser, smaller”) +‎ -culus (diminutive suffix) (built on the originally s-final stem of the adjective, attested also in the neuter nominative singular form minus).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /miˈnus.ku.lus/, [mɪˈnʊs̠kʊɫ̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /miˈnus.ku.lus/, [miˈnuskulus]

Adjective

minusculus (feminine minuscula, neuter minusculum); first/second-declension adjective

1. diminutive of minor
   1. rather less
   2. rather small

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	minusculus	minuscula	minusculum		minusculī	minusculae	minuscula
genitive	minusculī	minusculae	minusculī		minusculōrum	minusculārum	minusculōrum
dative	minusculō	minusculae	minusculō		minusculīs
accusative	minusculum	minusculam	minusculum		minusculōs	minusculās	minuscula
ablative	minusculō	minusculā	minusculō		minusculīs
vocative	minuscule	minuscula	minusculum		minusculī	minusculae	minuscula

Descendants

• → Catalan: minúscul
• → English: minuscule
• → French: minuscule
• → Friulian: minuscul
• Galician: mincha; → minúsculo
• → Italian: minuscolo
• → Piedmontese: minùscol
• → Romanian: minuscul
• → Portuguese: minúsculo
• → Spanish: minúsculo

References

• “minusculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “minusculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• minusculus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.