Meaning
- small, little, tiny, wee, small-scale
- little, young (in age)
- insignificant
Concepts
small quantity
not large
small-sized
Synonyms
mickerig
zwergenhaft
sehr klein
unendlich klein
stummelig
infinitesimal
Translations
Frequency
Dialects
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
chli
Basel-Landschaft
glai
St. Gallen
lüzìl
Data provided by: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch
Pronounced as (IPA)
/klaɪ̯n/
Etymology
In summary
Inherited from Middle High German klein, kleine, from Old High German kleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gleh₁y- (“to cleave, stick”). Cognate with Dutch klein and English clean. Doublet of clean. For a similar semantic development, cf. zierlich (orig. "decorative", today "petite").
Notes
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