The terms "second" and "minute" are both units of time measurement, but they refer to different durations. The minute is a larger unit of time than the second. The reason the smaller unit is called a "second" and not a "minute" is rooted in the historical development of our timekeeping systems.
The concept of dividing time into smaller units has been around for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used various methods to measure time, such as dividing the day and night into hours and further subdividing them. The Babylonians, for instance, had a sexagesimal (base-60) numeral system, which led to the division of hours into 60 minutes and minutes into 60 seconds.
However, the adoption of these subdivisions was not uniform across different cultures and time periods. The modern system of time measurement we use today, based on the decimal system, evolved gradually. The French Revolution played a significant role in standardizing timekeeping, including the development of the decimal-based metric system.
In the late 18th century, during the French Revolution, there was a proposal to divide the day into 10 hours, each hour into 100 minutes, and each minute into 100 seconds. This system was briefly implemented, and the new units were called "decimal minutes" and "decimal seconds." However, this decimal time system didn't gain widespread acceptance and was eventually abandoned.
Instead, the traditional sexagesimal division of time, with 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour, continued to be used. The smaller unit of time, which we now call a "second," retained its existing name. So, while the minute is a larger unit of time, the term "second" refers to the smaller unit within the context of the historical development and conventions of timekeeping systems.