Midget
/ˈmɪdʒɪt/noun
A very small person or thing.
Did you know?The word was popularized in the 19th century by entertainer Harry H. Kellar’s assistant Minnie Warren, but its origin is uncertain and it later became widely regarded as offensive.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
English
midget
“A very small person, especially a performer or entertainer of small stature.”
19th Century
English
midge
“A tiny fly; by extension, something very small.”
Unknown / Disputed
English
midge
“Possibly from a dialect word for a small insect, or influenced by the idea of smallness.”
Old English
English
mid
“Middle; in the center.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*medhyo-
“Middle, in the middle.”