Did you know…

The word ‘minutes’ possibly dates back to the 16^th century and may be taken from the Latin ‘minuta scriptura’ meaning small writing. In classical Latin, the writing was done in capitals or block script, but this changed in the Middle Ages when lower case letters were introduced, possibly in order to save space, paper, and ink. This ‘small writing’ is thought to have been used for rough drafts of letters, notes or instructions for servants, as well as to record the proceedings of meetings of societies, assemblies, etc. The latter use continues to this day. Nowadays, minutes are usually a summary of the discussions and decisions taken during meetings, to be read by the participants afterwards as a reminder of what took place, and also by those who did not attend the meetings.