"smal" meaning in Middle English

See smal in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /smal/, /smaːl/ Forms: smale [plural], smale [singular, weak], smalre [comparative], smalest [superlative], smale [alternative], smalle [alternative], smel [alternative], smæl [alternative], small [alternative]
Etymology: From Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|smæl}} Old English smæl, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*smalaz}} Proto-Germanic *smalaz Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective|plural and weak singular|smale|comparative|smalre||{{{comp2}}}|superlative|smalest||{{{sup2}}}|f3l=|f5l=|head=}} smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest), {{enm-adj|smale|smalre|smalest}} smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)
  1. Small, minuscule.
    Sense id: en-smal-enm-adj-nIi3gLT7 Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Size Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 51 16 7 12 14 Disambiguation of Size: 100 0 0 0 0
  2. Little, few, scarce.
    Sense id: en-smal-enm-adj-tUcB6CIg
  3. Ground finely, not coarse.
    Sense id: en-smal-enm-adj-V5h17Bxz
  4. Of no worth, unimportant.
    Sense id: en-smal-enm-adj-cHprJqGZ
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|var=1}} smal
  1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of smel Tags: Early-Middle-English, alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: smel
    Sense id: en-smal-enm-noun-qsU~pP7M Categories (other): Early Middle English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en-geo",
          "word": "sma'"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "small"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "sma'"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "smaale"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "small"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "smæl"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English smæl",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*smalaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *smalaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "singular",
        "weak"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalre",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smæl",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "small",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "10": "smalest",
        "11": "",
        "12": "{{{sup2}}}",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "plural and weak singular",
        "4": "smale",
        "5": "comparative",
        "6": "smalre",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{comp2}}}",
        "9": "superlative",
        "f3l": "",
        "f5l": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "smale",
        "2": "smalre",
        "3": "smalest"
      },
      "expansion": "smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "51 16 7 12 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0 0 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Size",
          "orig": "enm:Size",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Small, minuscule."
      ],
      "id": "en-smal-enm-adj-nIi3gLT7"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Little, few, scarce."
      ],
      "id": "en-smal-enm-adj-tUcB6CIg"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Ground finely, not coarse."
      ],
      "id": "en-smal-enm-adj-V5h17Bxz"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of no worth, unimportant."
      ],
      "id": "en-smal-enm-adj-cHprJqGZ"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/smal/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/smaːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "smal"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "var": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "smal",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "smel"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Early Middle English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of smel"
      ],
      "id": "en-smal-enm-noun-qsU~pP7M",
      "links": [
        [
          "smel",
          "smel#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Early Middle English) alternative form of smel"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "smal"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 11 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Size"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en-geo",
          "word": "sma'"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "small"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "sma'"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "smaale"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "small"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "smæl"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English smæl",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*smalaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *smalaz",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "singular",
        "weak"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalre",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smale",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smalle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "smæl",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "small",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "10": "smalest",
        "11": "",
        "12": "{{{sup2}}}",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "plural and weak singular",
        "4": "smale",
        "5": "comparative",
        "6": "smalre",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{comp2}}}",
        "9": "superlative",
        "f3l": "",
        "f5l": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "smale",
        "2": "smalre",
        "3": "smalest"
      },
      "expansion": "smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Small, minuscule."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Little, few, scarce."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Ground finely, not coarse."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of no worth, unimportant."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/smal/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/smaːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "smal"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 11 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Size"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "var": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "smal",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "smel"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Early Middle English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of smel"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "smel",
          "smel#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Early Middle English) alternative form of smel"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "smal"
}

Download raw JSONL data for smal meaning in Middle English (2.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.