different between maximus vs minimus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *magis?mos, from Proto-Indo-European *mé?h?s (“great”).

Alternative forms

• maxumus (Republican spelling)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?mak.si.mus/, [?mäks??m?s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?mak.si.mus/, [?m?ksimus]
• Note: the only evidence for a long /a/ in this word is the inscriptional MÁX(IMVS) in the acts of the Arval Brethren for 120 C.E. If genuine, this would be an example of the much-debated Lachmann's law.

Adjective

maximus (feminine maxima, neuter maximum, positive magnus); first/second declension

1. Superlative degree of magnus: greatest (in various senses):
   1. (of size) biggest, largest

      Antonyms: minimus, tenuissimus

   2. (of number, value, amount) largest
      1. (of sound) loudest
      2. (law, of property) unencumbered

   3. (of age) oldest, eldest

   4. (of degree) highest, utmost

   5. (of things) most important, chief, leading, critical

   6. (of power or reputation) mightiest, most eminent, senior or distinguished

   7. (with agent nouns) outstanding (denoting excellence in a special activity)
   8. (of mind, spirit) most confident, bravest; most generous

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Derived terms

• Iuppiter Optimus Maximus

Descendants

References

• “maximus” on page 1196 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)

Further reading

• maximus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• maximus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• maximus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
• maximus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

English

Etymology

From Latin. See minim.

Noun

minimus (plural minimi or minimuses)

1. (obsolete) A being of the smallest size.
   • 1595-96, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

     Get you gone, you dwarf;
     You minimus, of hindering knot-grass made;
     You bead, you acorn.

2. (dated) The youngest pupil in a school having a particular surname.

   Jones Minimus wants to join the rowing team.

3. (anatomy) The little finger; the fifth digit, or that corresponding to it, in either the manus or pes.

Translations

Latin

Etymology

Suppletive superlative of parvus, comparative minor, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mey(h?)- (“small, little”), whence also Latin minu?, Gothic ???????????????????????????? (minniza, “smaller”). Contains the same suffix as in ?nfimus (“lowest”), but details are uncertain. Related to Ancient Greek ?????? (m?krós, “little, small”), English smicker.

Alternative forms

• minumus (Republican Latin)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?mi.ni.mus/, [?m?n?m?s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?mi.ni.mus/, [?mi?nimus]

Adjective

minimus (feminine minima, neuter minimum, positive parvus); first/second declension

1. Superlative degree of parvus: least, smallest

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Antonyms

• maximus

Descendants

References

• Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1911) , “minimus”, in Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German)

Further reading

• minimus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• minimus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• minimus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.