French word moindre comes from Proto-Indo-European *moy-, Proto-Indo-European *pau-, Latin mina, and later Latin parvus (Ignorable, unimportant. Small, little, cheap.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *moy- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *pau- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| mina | Latin (lat) | (figuratively) threats, menaces. Projecting points, pinnacles, battlements, parapets. |
| parvus | Latin (lat) | Ignorable, unimportant. Small, little, cheap. |
| minari | Latin (lat) | |
| menor | Old French (fro) | Smaller. Smallest. Very small. |
| moindre | French (fra) | (preceded by a definite article) The smallest, the slightest, the least. Lower; less; lesser. |