leaflet

The word 'leaflet' is a transparent English compound formed from the noun 'leaf' and the diminutive suffix '-let'. The Old English root 'leaf' (also 'lēaf') is of Germanic origin, related to Dutch 'loof' and German 'Laub', and is ultimately derived from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to peel, strip." The suffix '-let', from Old English '-lētan' with a sense of "small," is used to form nouns denoting a smaller version of the base object. Thus, the literal construction "small leaf" was first applied in botany to describe a small or young leaf. By the late 18th century, this sense was extended metaphorically to a sheet of paper, likening its thin, flat form and the way it can be attached to a main publication (like a leaf to a stem) to a botanical leaf, resulting in its modern primary meaning of a small, informative pamphlet.

Structure: leaf (leaf) + let (small thing) leaf: Old English; a noun-forming element meaning "leaf of a plant." let: Old English; a noun suffix forming diminutives, meaning "a small thing."