"How do you spell 'miniscule'?"

Question

So it was said on the Great British Spelling Test last night.

I've come across both 'miniscule' and 'minuscule', the latter mainly when it's used to mean lower-case letters. I gather that 'minuscule' was the original word, which also came to mean 'tiny', but then it was corrupted to 'miniscule' presumably by assimilation/confusion with other words beginning with 'mini'.
The dictionaries listed on OneLook tend to list both spellings.

Both were among the choices, but the 'correct' answer given on the programme turned out to be 'minuscule'.
This doesn't follow - if the question is how to spell /'mIn I skju:l/, surely if there's any correct answer it's 'miniscule'.

My first thought is: if they want us to spell correctly, they should've chosen presenters able/bothered to pronounce correctly. But now, having looked at OneLook, I'm rather confused..
Stewart.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]So it was said on the Great British Spelling Test last night. I've come across both 'miniscule' and 'minuscule', the ... to spell correctly, they should've chosen presenters able/bothered to pronounce correctly. But now, having looked at OneLook, I'm rather confused..[/nq]
My impression is that BrE speakers tend to say /'mInIskju:l/, whether they use the (traditionally correct) spelling with or the one with .
The OED Online (3rd edition) gives both spellings separately, with a list of pronunciations for each. In one of these, it uses a symbol which seems to mean "either /I/ or /@/" and in another, it uses a symbol which seems to mean "either /U/ or /@/". Given this, for "minuscule" it gives five different "British" pronunciations: /'mInIskju:l/
/'mIn@skju:l/
/'mInjUskju:l/
/'mInj@skju:l/
/mI'nVskju:l/
For "miniscule" it only gives two pronunciations, the first two listed above (for the other three, a spelling with would be strange).

For both spellings, it gives just one "American" pronunciation - /'mIn@skjul/, essentially the same as the second "British" pronunciation.
Jonathan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]So it was said on the Great British Spelling Test last night.[/nq]
I take your point.
Personally I mis-pronounced and mis-spelled it as "miniscule" for years until I learned the correct etymology of it. It's from "minium", a Roman-era lead-based pigment, used in the painting of miniatures and also for the "red letter day" illuminated letters in medieval manuscripts.
PS - What's the original etymology of "mini" ? Is mini itself a corruption from this ?

Usenet · Answer

Andy Dingley filted:
[nq:1]PS - What's the original etymology of "mini" ? Is mini itself a corruption from this ?[/nq]
Wasn't it part of the inscription that Daniel translated for Belshazzar?...r

Usenet · Answer

} Andy Dingley filted:
}>
}>PS - What's the original etymology of "mini" ? Is mini itself a }>corruption from this ?
}
} Wasn't it part of the inscription that Daniel translated for Belshazzar?...r

Is that the ticklish guy?

R. J. Valentine

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]} Andy Dingley filted: }> }>PS - What's the original etymology of "mini" ? Is mini itself a }>corruption from this ? } } Wasn't it part of the inscription that Daniel translated for Belshazzar?...r Is that the ticklish guy?[/nq]
Many think so.
Maria Conlon

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Personally I mis-pronounced and mis-spelled it as "miniscule" for years until I learned the correct etymology of it. It's from "minium", a Roman-era lead-based pigment, used in the painting of miniatures and also for the "red letter day" illuminated letters in medieval manuscripts.[/nq]
What caught my eye here is that you credit the word "minium" for reminding you to put the U in "minuscule". Is that what you said? I would think the m-i-n-i- would steer you the wrong way.

I checked AHD and M-W and have to report that neither of them have these details at all. They say basically the same:
ETYMOLOGY: French, from Latin minusculus, rather
small, diminutive of minus, neuter of minor,
smaller.
I found your red pigment under the etymology for "miniature":

ETYMOLOGY: Italian miniatura, illumination of
manuscripts, small painting, from miniare, to
illuminate, from Latin minire, to color red, from
minium, red lead.
[nq:1]PS - What's the original etymology of "mini" ?[/nq]
AHD says it is short for both "miniature" and "minimum." The history of "miniature" is above. But "minimum" is quite different

ETYMOLOGY: Latin, from neuter of minimus, least.
That still leaves me with the question of whether "minor" and "minimus" (and so "minuscule") came from the red pigment, too.

I remembered that Partridge's Origins would have more on this... Look at that: "miniature" is related to "carmine" and the English word "minium" (red lead, vermilion or cinnabar). "Miniature" actually did mean "the illumination of a page with vermilion letters" (as you said up top) before it ever had anything to do with being small! That's surprising. I suppose it acquired the "small" meaning under the influence of the resemblance to "minimum." And also maybe from the monks making tiny paintings on manuscript pages?
Whereas Partridge connects the words "minimum", "minor" and "minuscule" to a whole slew of Indo-European words meaning "small". Not to red lead.

Interesting.

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]So it was said on the Great British Spelling Test last night. I've come across both 'miniscule' and 'minuscule', the ... 'miniscule' presumably by assimilation/confusion with other words beginning with 'mini'. The dictionaries listed on OneLook tend to list both spellings.[/nq]
Some regard miniscule as correct, others don't. Some examples are:

Merriam Webster Online: miniscule, var. of minuscule.

Compact Oxford English Dictionary: The correct spelling is minuscule, not
miniscule. (However the OED no longer says that 'miniscule' is incorrect).
Encarta World English Dictionary: only minuscule is listed

Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary: miniscule defined as a common but
incorrect spelling.
Cambridge Dictionary of American English: minuscule or miniscule.

Allwords.com: miniscule is still not widely accepted.
[nq:1]Both were among the choices, but the 'correct' answer given on the programme turned out to be 'minuscule'. This doesn't follow - if the question is how to spell /'mIn I skju:l/, surely if there's any correct answer it's 'miniscule'.[/nq]
Correct spelling has little to do with pronunciation - in English, anyway. 'Minuscule' is regarded as the better spelling because the word derives from the latin 'minusculus'.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Personally I mis-pronounced and mis-spelled it as "miniscule" for years ... for the "red letter day" illuminated letters in medieval manuscripts.[/nq]
[nq:1]What caught my eye here is that you credit the word "minium" for reminding you to put the U in "minuscule". Is that what you said? I would think the m-i-n-i- would steer you the wrong way.[/nq]
The easiest way to remember is to think of "majuscule".

But since "minim-" weords have been mentioned, I wonder if anyone can explain the fuss that was made a few years ago about "minimal brain damage", when people were proposing extensive treatment for the condition.

If someone told me "You have minimal brain damage" I'd think "Well, that's OK then, I don't have to worry about that".
To me "minimal" implies "not significant enough to require treatment".

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]So it was said on the Great British Spelling Test ... The dictionaries listed on OneLook tend to list both spellings.[/nq]
[nq:1]Some regard miniscule as correct, others don't. Some examples are: Merriam Webster Online: miniscule, var. of minuscule. Compact Oxford English ... Encarta World English Dictionary: only minuscule is listed Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary: miniscule defined as a common but incorrect spelling.[/nq]
My Collins doesn't give "miniscule" at all.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]What caught my eye here is that you credit the ... would think the m-i-n-i- would steer you the wrong way.[/nq]
[nq:1]The easiest way to remember is to think of "majuscule".[/nq]
Ah, not just me then.

"How do you spell 'miniscule'?"

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