An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. (prep.) With the deduction of.
   

2. (adj.) → negative.
   

3. (n.) A deficiency or subtraction; the minus sign.

Etymology (EN): L. minus “less,” neuter of minor “smaller,” ultimately from PIE *mi-nu-, suffixed form of root *mei- “small;” cf. L. minuere “to diminish, lessen;” Gk. meion “less, smaller;” Av. (+ prefix *ui-) vīmītô.dantānô “with lost teeth;” O.Pers. mīθah- “damage, harm;” Mid.Pers. (+ *ui-) wmys- “to fade;” Mod.Pers. gum, gom “lost;” Ossetian minæg “weak, dim (light)” (Cheung 2007);
Skt. miyate “diminishes,” Russ. men’she “less;” O.E. minsian “to diminish.”

Etymology (PE): Kaman, from kam “little, few; deficient, wanting; scarce,” from Mid.Pers. kam “little, small, few,” O.Pers./Av. kamna- “small, few”

• suffix -an that occurs in many words, such as rowšan, rowzan “bright, window,” anjoman “assembly, association,” hâvan “mortar,” mihan “homeland, dwelling,” barzan “district, neighborhood,” rasan “rope.” These particular cases are related to Proto-Ir./Av. -ana: raocana-, hanjamana-, hāvana-, maeθana-, *varezana-, and uraisana- respectively; other cases may have a different origin, e.g. Proto-Ir. -an.