First use appears c. 1490, from Middle French mignon (“lover, royal favourite, darling”), from Old French mignon (“dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind”), from Frankish *minnju (“love, friendship, affection, memory”), from Proto-Germanic *minjō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Doublet of mignon.
Meanings
(obsolete) Favoured, beloved; "pet".
These favours, with the commodities that follow minion Courtiers, corrupt[…]his libertie, and dazle his judgement. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], book 1, P.148, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
First use appears c. 1490, from Middle French mignon (“lover, royal favourite, darling”), from Old French mignon (“dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind”), from Frankish *minnju (“love, friendship, affection, memory”), from Proto-Germanic *minjō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Doublet of mignon.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being.
In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter. 2013 May-June, Kevin Heng, “Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily?”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 184:
The archvillain deployed his minions to simultaneously rob every bank in the city.
(countable, uncountable) A sycophantic follower.
(uncountable) The size of type between nonpareil and brevier, standardized as 7-point.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A loved one; one highly esteemed and favoured.
Is this the Athenian minion whom the world / Voiced so regardfully? c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
God's disciple and his dearest minion 1608, Josuah Sylvester, Du Bartas his divine weekes and workes:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) An ancient form of ordnance with a calibre of about three inches.
Gun. My Cannons rung like Bells. Here's to my Mistress, The dainty sweet brass Minion: split their Fore-mast, She never fail'd. 1647, Francis Beaumont, Philip Massinger, The Double Marriage (play), published 1717, page 19:
(alt-of, countable, obsolete, uncountable) Obsolete form of minium.
Of philosophers and scholars priscae sapientiae dictatores, I have already spoken in general terms, those superintendents of wit and learning, men above men, those refined men, minions of the muses. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
sv underlydare (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fr laquais (sycophantic follower) · th ข้าราชการผู้น้อย (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · es miñón (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · th ลิ่วล้อ (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · id antek (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ru холу́й (sycophantic follower) · sq favorit (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ms orang suruhan (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · de Günstling (sycophantic follower) · pl pachołek (sycophantic follower) · nl slaafs volgeling (sycophantic follower) · de Kolonel (7-point type) · pl sługus (sycophantic follower) · vi kẻ nô lệ (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · la satelles (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fr sous-fifre (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · cmn 奴仆 (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fr mignone (7-point type) · de Untergebener (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · uk фавори́т (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu kegyenc (sycophantic follower) · is skósveinn (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu talpnyaló (sycophantic follower) · cs oblíbenec (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · it tirapiedi (sycophantic follower) · sh ljubimac (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ru ве́рный слуга́ (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · az sevimli (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu csatlós (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sh štićenik (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ro răsfățat (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fr mignonne (7-point type) · ko 앞잡이 (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ca glossilla (7-point type) · fi käskyläinen (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · nl ondergeschikte (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · nl hielenlikker (sycophantic follower) · ja 子分 (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · cmn 奴才 (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sh љубимац (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu samesz (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · th ลูกสมุน (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · th สมุน (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sv skyddsling (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · bn ভৃত্য (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · de Colonel (7-point type) · tr dalkavuk (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · bg раболепен слуга (sycophantic follower) · mn шадар (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sk obľúbenec (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ar تَابِع (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · de Lakai (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · id kacung (sycophantic follower) · et käsilane (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · es miñona (7-point type) · gl lacaio (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · es glosilla (7-point type) · pl pomagier (sycophantic follower) · hu tányérnyaló (sycophantic follower) · sh poslušnik (sycophantic follower) · sh штићеник (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · el ευνοούμενος (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · lv mīlulis (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu fogdmeg (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · es secuaz (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · pl sługa (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fi lakeija (sycophantic follower) · eo sbiro (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · pt lacaio (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · bg фаворит (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · tl alagad (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · tl kampon (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sv hejduk (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fi perseennuolija (sycophantic follower) · fr subalterne (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · el ακόλουθος (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · fr séide (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · id kaki tangan (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ca adlàter (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · de Mignon (7-point type) · fr larbin (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · pt favorito (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · da håndlanger (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · he מְשָׁרֵת (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ru приспе́шник (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · sv tjänare (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · hu kolonel (7-point type) · de Ergebener (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ca esbirro (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · nl kolonel (7-point type) · it lacché (loyal servant of another more powerful being) · ru шестёрка (loyal servant of another more powerful being)