minutes

Definitions

Not just the plural of the time unit. This sense comes from Latin minuta scriptura 'small writing' — notes written in a small, condensed hand. The 'minutes' of a meeting are the condensed written record of it. It is treated as a plural noun (the minutes are…).

Why It Means This

Why 'minutes' for meeting notes? The same minu ('small') gives both the time unit (a small part of an hour) and these notes (minuta scriptura, 'small writing'). The clerk jotted things down in tiny, abbreviated script, and that condensed record became 'the minutes.'

Common Collocations

• 1.take the minutes做会议记录
• 2.meeting minutes会议纪要
• 3.approve the minutes通过会议记录

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Could you take the minutes at today's meeting?

• 2.

  The minutes were circulated to all attendees afterward.