-kin meaning: definition, etymology

-kin

suffix

Etymology From Middle English -kin, -kinne, -kunne, from Old English cynna, the genitive plural of cynn (“kind, sort, rank”), used in compounds.

Dialectal, Morpheme Used to form adjectives expressing resemblance or likeness to, similar to -like.

alkin
Dutchkin

3 more examples

ilkin
weirdkin
whatkin

Morpheme Used to form nouns having qualities of or belonging to a particular kind, class, or sort.

otakukin
otherkin

-kin

suffix

Etymology From Middle English -kin, -ken (also as -ke, -k), perhaps from Old English -ca, but more likely from Middle Dutch -ken (compare cognate Middle English -chen, -chin, from Old English -ċen), apparently representing Proto-West Germanic *-ikīn, *-ukīn, a double diminutive, from *-ik, *-uk (> Old English -oc) + *-īn (compare Old English -en). Cognate with Dutch -ken, Low German -ken, German -chen, Old English -ċen. More at -ock, -en.

Archaic, Morpheme Forming diminutives of nouns.

Related terms: Jack, mannikin, mannequin, ramekin, ramequin, -kins, -chan