# Meeting minutes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 10, 2011, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496 "2011-11-10T10:40:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gilberto\_Dipiento](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@Gilberto\_Dipiento](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilberto_Dipiento)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/1 "2011-11-10T10:40:21Z")

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Why are the formal notes of meetings called “minutes”. The web reveals a number of possible explanations, but none sound definitive.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/2 "2011-11-10T13:55:35Z")

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It’s the ‘small writings’ of the meeting - small=minute (as in diminutive, not 1/60th of an hour)

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/3 "2011-11-10T16:12:05Z")

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From [etymonline.com](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=minutes&searchmode=none):

> [@](#):
>
> “record of proceedings,” c.1710, perhaps from L. minuta scriptura “rough notes,” lit. "small writing;

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/4 "2011-11-11T18:45:21Z")

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Wow, I would’ve never thought this. Very interesting piece of trivia!

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/5 "2011-11-11T19:18:33Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Wow, I would’ve never thought this. Very interesting piece of trivia!

It’s minutia.

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meeting-minutes/602496/6 "2011-11-11T20:18:16Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Very interesting piece of trivia!

> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> It’s minutia.

And you have to be careful with these Latin words: “trivia” is plural (singular “trivium”), while “minutia” is singular (plural “minutiae”), even though they both end in -ia.

[Just a trivial minutia for you – or a minute trivium, if you prefer.]