An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of a degree.
A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour.

Etymology (EN): From O.Fr. minut, from M.L. minuta “minute, short note,” from L. minuta, feminin of minutus “small, minute.”

In M.L., pars minuta prima “first small part” was used by Ptolemy for “one-sixtieth of a circle,” later of an hour (next in order was secunda minuta, which became second).

Etymology (PE): Daqiqé, loan from Ar. daqiqat.