minute
minute1
A. 60th part of an hour or a degree XIV;
B. rough draft, memorandum XVI. — (O)F. — late L. sb. use of L. minūta, fem. of minūtus MINUTE2. Sense A rests ult. on medL. pars minuta prima ‘first minute part’, the 1/60 of a unit in the (Babylonian) system of sexagesimal fractions (cf. SECOND1 sb.). Sense B depends (perh. through F.) on the medieval use of L. minūta, which may be for minuta scriptura draft in small writing as dist. from the engrossed copy.
Hence minute vb. XVII.
A. 60th part of an hour or a degree XIV;
B. rough draft, memorandum XVI. — (O)F. — late L. sb. use of L. minūta, fem. of minūtus MINUTE2. Sense A rests ult. on medL. pars minuta prima ‘first minute part’, the 1/60 of a unit in the (Babylonian) system of sexagesimal fractions (cf. SECOND1 sb.). Sense B depends (perh. through F.) on the medieval use of L. minūta, which may be for minuta scriptura draft in small writing as dist. from the engrossed copy.
Hence minute vb. XVII.
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