smal

smal

See also: smàl, smál, smäl, and smæl

Danish

Etymology

From late Old Norse smalr (“little”), from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Compare with English small.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /smal/, [smalˀ]

Adjective

smal

1. narrow, thin
2. slim, slender

Inflection

Inflection of smal
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	smal	smallere	smallest2
Neuter singular	smalt	smallere	smallest2
Plural	smalle	smallere	smallest2
Definite attributive1	smalle	smallere	smalleste
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch smal, from Old Dutch smal, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Cognate with English small, German schmal, Old Norse smalr, Gothic 𐍃𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍃 (smals).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /smɑl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: smal
• Homophone: Smal
• Rhymes: -ɑl

Adjective

smal (comparative smaller, superlative smalst)

1. narrow

Inflection

Inflection of smal
uninflected	smal
inflected	smalle
comparative	smaller
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		smal	smaller	het smalst het smalste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	smalle	smallere	smalste
	n. sing.	smal	smaller	smalste
	plural	smalle	smallere	smalste
definite		smalle	smallere	smalste
partitive		smals	smallers	—

Derived terms

• versmallen

Descendants

• Negerhollands: smaal, smal
• → Papiamentu: smal

Anagrams

• mals

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• smale, smalle, smel, smæl, small

Etymology

From Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /smal/, /smaːl/

Adjective

smal (plural and weak singular smale, comparative smalre, superlative smalest)

1. Small, minuscule.
2. Little, few, scarce.
3. Ground finely, not coarse.
4. Of no worth, unimportant.

Descendants

• English: small
• Scots: smal
• Yola: smaale

References

• “smā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-02-23.

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse smalr, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Compare with English small.

Adjective

smal (neuter singular smalt, definite singular and plural smale, comparative smalere, indefinite superlative smalest, definite superlative smaleste)

1. narrow (having a small width)
2. slim (waist etc.)

Antonyms

• bred

Derived terms

• langsmal
• smalspor, smalsporet

Related terms

• smalne

References

• “smal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse smalr, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Compare with English small.

Adjective

smal (neuter singular smalt, definite singular and plural smale, comparative smalare, indefinite superlative smalast, definite superlative smalaste)

1. narrow (having a small width)
2. slim (waist etc.)

Derived terms

• langsmal
• smalspor

References

• “smal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *smalaz.

Adjective

smal

1. small

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: smal

Further reading

• “smal”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

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Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *smal, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz, whence also Old English smæl, Old Norse smalr.

Adjective

smal

1. small

Descendants

• Middle High German: smal
  • German: schmal
  • Hunsrik: schmaal
  • Luxembourgish: schmuel
  • Vilamovian: śmoł
  • Yiddish: שמאָל‎ (shmol)

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Papiamentu

Etymology

From Dutch smal.

Adjective

smal

1. narrow

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /smal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: smal

Verb

smal

1. second-person singular imperative of smalić

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish smal, from Old Norse smalr, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Compare with English small.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

smal (comparative smalare, superlative smalast)

1. not wide, narrow

   att gå den smala vägen

   to walk the narrow road

   Antonym: bred

2. slim, slender, thin (of a person or body part, fairly neutral in itself)

   Antonyms: tjock, fet

Declension

Inflection of smal
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	smal	smalare	smalast
Neuter singular	smalt	smalare	smalast
Plural	smala	smalare	smalast
Masculine plural3	smale	smalare	smalast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	smale	smalare	smalaste
All	smala	smalare	smalaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

Derived terms

• smal som en pinne
• smal som en sticka
• smalmat
• smalspår
• trådsmal

See also

• tunn (“thin”)

Further reading

• smal in Svensk ordbok.

Anagrams

• alms, mals