Minus
/ˈmaɪ.nəs/noun
A sign or word indicating subtraction or a smaller amount.
Did you know?In Latin, minus is the comparative form of parvus (“small”), so the minus sign carries the old idea of being “smaller” rather than a mystical void.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to diminish, lessen”
Latin
Latin
minus
“less, smaller”
Late Latin
Latin
minus
“less; used in arithmetic and comparison”
Middle English
English
minus
“less; a sign indicating subtraction”
Modern English
English
minus
“the subtraction sign or the idea of being less”