minuta

Minuta is a term used in several languages with related meanings tied to brevity, smallness, or a preliminary stage. Its etymology traces back to Latin minuta, meaning small or minute. Because of this common origin, the word appears in various contexts with overlapping but not always identical senses.

In legal, administrative, and organizational contexts, minuta most often refers to a draft version of a document or a concise set of notes. In Portuguese and Spanish, for example, a minuta can denote a rough draft of a contract or report, as well as a preliminary version circulated for comment before final approval. In some cases, the same term is used to describe the notes or outline prepared to summarize a meeting, though more formal minutes are usually recorded as acta or minutes in other languages.

In other domains, minuta can appear as a taxonomic or descriptive epithet in Latin scientific names to indicate small size, used to signal diminutive characteristics in a species. The word can also function as a general modifier meaning “small” or “brief” in everyday language in some Romance-language varieties. As a proper noun, minuta may appear in place names or titles unrelated to its core meanings.

Overall, minuta is a versatile term whose exact meaning depends on language and context, commonly reflecting notions of drafts, brevity, or diminutive size.