Etymograph

English

sing small

Sing small comes from English small ‘in a small fashion’.

  1. English1500–presentsmall1‘in a small fashion’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1603sing small1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sing small
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1603, Plutarch, How a Man may Discerne a Flatterer from a Friend: “[A]re not moſt of our kings being vvhen they…”.

Lineage

  1. English1500–presentsmallWiktionary, English sing small‘in a small fashion’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1603sing smallWiktionary, English sing small. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1603, Plutarch, How a Man may Discerne a Flatterer from a Friend: “[A]re not moſt of our kings being vvhen they…”

A compound of sing + small ‘in a small fashion’

Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ- ‘to recite’

Proto-Germanic *singwaną ‘to sing’

Proto-West Germanic *singwan ‘to sing’

Old English singan ‘to sing’

Middle English singen ‘to produce chants or other sung verse’

English sing

Proto-Germanic *smalaz

Proto-West Germanic *smal

Old English smæl ‘narrow’

Middle English smal ‘small’

English small

Every English word from English small

Today it means

verb To assume a humble tone.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sing small”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / English small / sing small

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