Doug from Traverse City
asked about the words tad and skosh. Both mean a very small amount. Tad showed up in print around 1940. It is probably a
shortened form of tadpole, the early stage of a frog or toad. Skosh showed up in print around 1951. It came from a
Japanese word, sukoshi, that
meant short or just a little. The word was picked up by American soldiers
stationed in the orient.
There are formal words
to express a small amount, such as scintilla, a minute particle (from the
Latin), but the informal, colloquial, and slang terms are more entertaining.
Let’s look at a few.
- dab [1729] a small or trifling amount. From a dialectical use of
the word that meant a slight blow or slap with the back of the hand.
- smidgen [1845] a small amount. Possibly a variation of smitch, a particle or bit [1840]
- bit [1200] a small amount (of food). From
bite.
- jot [1526] a very small amount. From iota,
the smallest Greek letter.
- speck [1400] A small or minute particle of something. From the Dutch
speckle, a speck.
- nip [1736] a small quantity (of spirits). Possibly from the Dutch nippen, to sip.
- mite [1375] an insignificant amount. Figurative use of a Dutch word
that meant a small coin of low value.
- shred [1000] a scrap or fragment. From a Frisian word meaning a
clipping from a coin.
- ort [1325] a scrap or fragment (of food). From a Frisian word
meaning fodder left by cattle.
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts
Dictionary, 2nd edition
Nook edition
Nook edition
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