An archaic or variant spelling of 'diminish,' meaning to make something smaller or reduce in size or importance.
From Old French 'diminuer,' derived directly from Latin 'diminuere.' This form represents an earlier English spelling before the '-ish' ending became standardized in the 15th-16th centuries.
This spelling shows how English borrowed French words during the Norman period—'diminue' is closer to the French original, but English speakers eventually preferred 'diminish,' making this version beautifully obsolete!
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