• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Term “Minutes” Come From For the Shorthand Notes Taken at a Business Meeting?

Where Did the Term “Minutes” Come From For the Shorthand Notes Taken at a Business Meeting?

March 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

The reason why the written records of a meeting are called the minutes is because, in order to keep up, the minute-taker wrote in a shorthand or abbreviation.

The word used to describe this condensed writing was minute (my-noot), meaning “small,” and because the spelling is the same, the minutes (my-noots) became minutes.

The same circumstances apply to Frederick Chopin’s Minute Waltz.

It’s really his small or minute (my-noot) waltz.

Shorthand is a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases, and is often used for minutes at business meetings.

Related Facts

  • How did meeting non-Natives affect California Native American tribes?
  • How did the Minute Originate and Why are There Sixty Seconds in a Minute and Sixty Minutes in an Hour?
  • Has an Hour Always Had 60 Minutes?
  • How Can You Pass 24 Hours in Less Than 60 Minutes?
  • Why do chipmunks sometimes chirp loudly and continuously for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time?
  • What Was the Record Called "Three Minutes of Silence" Used For Back When Jukeboxes Were Popular?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Does the Term “Hobnobbing” Mean and Where Did the Word For Socializing Come From?
Next Post: Where Did the Word “Blackmail” Come From and How Did the Term For Extortion of Money Originate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy