English word origin

Etymology of tiny

From Middle English tine, tyne (“very small”) + -y. Perhaps from tine.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

adj

Very small.

noun

A small child; an infant. · Anything very small.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English tine, tyne (“very small”) + -y. Perhaps from tine.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiontineenm
Word-formation component-yen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "tine"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English tine"
    },
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-y"
      },
      "expansion": "-y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tine",
      "tine#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "tyne",
      "tyne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ],
    [
      "tine",
      "tine#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Very small."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "14111957cb8b11ef8f75d82c3eed71b3701cee22d955f5ffc95f7c048d0af95b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5f9529cc484092fcb15bb00339bf658d811eba2e16efd4321d0be03ed8ec47d3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 223240
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A small child; an infant.",
        "Anything very small."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "7b495c3c34008103c0aeeadb7d2751aa72503830d3ed1850f606f36bd28bd8d8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8f1ad8916be78a571363ab2900433fbee763875e7316c6cd60b06b1cd3038afb",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 223241
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for tiny →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dGlueQ