-ling

/lɪŋ/

Etymology From Middle English -ling, from Old English -ling, from Proto-West Germanic *-ling, from Proto-Germanic *-lingaz, a nominal suffix, probably composed of Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (agent/instrumental/diminutive suffix) + Proto-Germanic *-ingaz (patronymic suffix). Akin to Dutch -ling, German -ling, Icelandic -lingur, Gothic -𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍃 (-liggs). More at -le, -ing.

Derived terms

49 terms

buckling, castling, darling, daughterling, doeling, duckling, earthling, fatling, fingerling, fledgling, fondling, goatling, godling, gosling, lambling, lordling, pigling, princeling, puffling, spiderling, sportling, swanling, vetchling, cageling, changeling, darkling, endling, firstling, foundling, hatchling, hireling, kindling, nestling, overling, ridgeling, sapling, seedling, shaveling, starveling, stripling, suckling, underling, weakling, wildling, witling, wordling, worldling, yearling, youngling