Winzigste

Winzigste is the superlative form of the German adjective winzig, meaning "tiny" or "small." It is used to designate the smallest item within a group or comparison and is typically placed before a noun with a definite article.

Grammatical usage includes attributive position with a definite article: das winzigste Stück, das winzigste Auto. In predicative constructions, the phrase commonly appears with am: Es ist am winzigsten von allen. When an indefinite article is used, the common choice is ein winziges Stück rather than a form like ein winzigste Stück, which is rarely used in everyday language.

Etymology traces winzig to Old High German winzig and related Middle High German forms, all of which mean "tiny." The precise origin of the root is unclear, but the modern comparative and superlative formation follow standard German adjective patterns.

Nominalized use occurs in literary or emphatic contexts, where winzigste can be capitalized as a noun meaning "the tiniest thing" (das Winzigste). This nominal usage is stylistic and much less common in ordinary prose.

See also: German adjectives and their declensions, the formation of superlatives, and the word winzig as the base adjective for small or tiny.