minuet
UK[ˌmɪnjuˈɛt]US[ˌmɪnjuˈɛt]
n
A slow, stately ballroom dance for two in triple time, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
n
A piece of music in triple time composed for or in the style of this dance, often forming one movement of a suite or symphony.
Etymology
The word 'minuet' entered English in the mid-17th century from the French 'menuet', meaning 'fine, delicate, small, narrow'. This French term is a diminutive of 'menu', from the Latin 'minutus', meaning 'small'. The dance earned its name from the short, precise, and delicate steps that characterized it, in contrast to the larger, more vigorous movements of other court dances. Thus, the term's journey from a Latin adjective for 'small' to the name of a refined dance perfectly captures the essence of the art form it describes.
Analysis
The word is a loanword from French, adopted as a single lexical unit. It is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The couple practiced the elegant steps of the minuet for the historical ball.
The third movement of the symphony is a graceful minuet and trio.
She composed a charming minuet for the harpsichord.