Minicar

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A very small motor vehicle designed for efficient urban driving and easy parking
2. An automobile of exceptionally compact size, typically seating four to five people with minimal interior space
3. A diminutive car built for economy and maneuverability in crowded city environments

Etymology: Minicar is a compound built from the combining form "mini-" and the noun "car," so its history is mostly the history of its two parts. The "car" half reaches English through a long chain: a Proto-Celtic word "karros" (a kind of two-wheeled vehicle) was taken into Latin as "carrus," which passed into Anglo-Norman as "carre" and then into Middle English as "carre," eventually becoming the modern "car." The "mini-" half comes from Italian "mini-," a prefix meaning small, which is drawn from Latin "minor" and related forms. English speakers adopted it as a free-standing prefix for small versions of things, and it was attached to "car" to name a small automobile. Because "mini-" is a productive prefix rather than a single word, the compound is transparent: it simply means a small car. The word's formation follows the same pattern as other "mini-" coinages such as minibus and minivan.

Synonyms: compact car, subcompact