From Latin 'minium' (red lead paint), not from 'minor' — originally manuscript illumination, falsely linked to smallness.
A thing that is much smaller than normal, especially a small-scale painting or portrait; or an adjective describing something represented on a very small scale.
From Italian miniatura (an illuminated manuscript painting), from the verb miniare (to paint in manuscripts, to illuminate), from Latin miniāre (to color with red lead), from minium (red lead, cinnabar, the bright red pigment used for rubrication). The word has absolutely nothing to do with Latin minor or minimus (small). The false association arose because manuscript illuminations happened to be small, and speakers assumed the word derived from mini- meaning little — a classic
The entire 'mini-' prefix in English — miniskirt, minivan, minibar — ultimately traces back to Latin 'minor/minimus' (smaller). But 'miniature' itself comes from 'minium' (red lead paint), not from 'minor.' The modern meaning of 'miniature' as 'very small' is the result of a centuries-old false etymology: people heard 'mini-' and assumed
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