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): [mɪˈnʊs.kʊ.ɫʊs]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [miˈnus.ku.lus]

Adjective

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

diminutive of minor
1. rather less
2. rather small

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
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
→ Dutch: minuscuul
→ 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.