mini-, minor-, minut-, minu-, min-

(Latin: small, little, less; decline, decrease, diminish; become less, reduce, becoming smaller or shorter)

A maximis ad minima. (Latin)
Translation: "From the greatest to the least."
A minimis quoque timendum. (Latin)
Translation: "One ought to fear even the tiniest of creatures."
admin (s) (noun), admins (pl)
A word for a person who has control of a website or a program, or the program itself, that controls data, etc. on a computer: Brent's website has admins that allow access to specific sections of his network.

The term admin is an abbreviation or shortened form of "administration" or "administrator".

admin (verb), admins; admined, adminned; admining, adminning
To function as a controller of a system or network: Mark had to admin his computer programs so the various sections of his website could be available.
administer (verb), administers; administered; administering
1. To manage the affairs of a business, organization, or institution: Jeff mentioned that all the student groups and activities were administered by representatives.
2. To preside over the dispensation of something: The judge made every effort to administer justice in the fairest possible manner.
3. To give someone a measured amount of a medication, often by physically introducing it into the body: Before the little operation could take place, pain killers were administered into the patient's arm.
4. To carry out a set ritual or religious ceremony on behalf of a person or a group of people: After the baptism took place, the priest had the duty to administer the sacraments.
5. To oversee the taking of an oath by someone: In court, the judge had to administer and make sure that the witness swore properly, with his hand on the Bible.
6. To manage the distribution of, or dispose of, a deceased person's property: In accordance with the law, an executor, or trustee, is in charge of the trust estate and must administer it properly.
7. Etymology: "to manage as a steward" from Old French aministrer, from Latin administrare, "to serve, to carry out, to manage"; from ad-, "to" + ministrare, "to serve".

The minister part of administer came from about 1300 meaning, "someone who acts by the authority of another person" from Old French ministre "servant" which came from Latin minister, ministri, "servant, priest's assistant" (in Middle Latin, "priest"), from minus, minor, "less".

The meaning of "priest" was established in English from the early 14th century. The political sense of "a high officer of the state" is determined from the 1620s from the concept of "service to the crown". The verb is from about 1300, originally meaning "to serve (food or drinks)".

administrant (s) (noun), administrants (pl)
administrate (verb), administrates; administrated, administrating
administration (s) (noun), administrations (pl)
administrator (s) (noun), administrators (pl)
1. Someone whose job is to manage the affairs of a business, organization, or institution.
2. A person who is appointed by a court to manage the estate of someone who is deceased (dead); especially, when there is no competent agent available to carry out the details that are involved.
Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi. (Latin)
Translation: "The deepest rivers flow with the least sound."

Another translation: "Still waters run deep."

coadministratrix (s) (noun); coadministratrixes, coadministratrices (pl)
A woman who is a joint administrator with one or more people and whose job is to help manage a business, an organization, an institution, a government agency, or a department, etc.
comminute (KOM-uh-noot, KOM-uh-nyoot) (verb), comminutes; comminuted; comminuting
1. To reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding, smashing, crunching, or grinding: Brian was comminuting or pulverizing some wheat seeds into flour.
2. Etymology: from Latin comminuere, " to crush", "to make smaller together"; from com-, "with, together" + minuere, "to lessen, to make small".
comminution (s) (noun), comminutions (pl)
De minimis non curat praetor. (Latin statement)
Translation: "A praetor does not occupy himself with petty matters."

Also, "Don't bother me with petty matters." A praetor [PREET uhr] in ancient Rome was a magistrate who assisted the consuls by administering justice and commanding armies.

A related expression is the legal precept: De minimis non curat lex or "The law does not concern itself with trifles" or "The law does not care for, or take notice of, very small or trifling matters"; which is used to justify refusal by a court, particularly an appellate court, to hear a suit, on the basis that a court's time must not be taken up with matters of small importance.

Provision is made under certain criminal statutes for dismissing offenses that are de minimis.

The phrase, de minimis, also explains why income tax payments that are a few dollars short of what they should be are sometimes accepted without any complaint.

digitus minimus (s) (noun), digitus minimi (pl)
The little finger, also commonly referred to as the "pinky" or "digitus quintus", is usually the smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the "ring finger".

The digitus minimus is also called the "fifth finger", or the "fourth finger" colloquially [not counting the thumb as a "finger"].

Related "few, small, less, little" word units: micro-;mio-; nano-; oligo-, olig-.