Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- An adverbial suffix.
- suffix A noun suffix, commonly having a
diminutive or adepreciatory force; as in duckling , gosling , hireling , fosterling , firstling , underling .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- suffix A
diminutive modifier ofnouns having either the physical sense of "a younger, smaller or inferior version of what is denoted by the original noun", or the derived sense indicating possession of or connection with a quality, which may having the sense of "a follower or resident of what is denoted by the stem form". - suffix as an adverb In the
manner ordirection indicated by the main stem (object.)
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Middle English -ling, from Old English -ling, from Proto-Germanic *-lingaz, a nominal suffix, probably composed of Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (agent/instrumental suffix) + Proto-Germanic *-ingaz (patronymic suffix). Akin to Old High German -ling, Old Norse -lingr, Gothic -𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍃 (-liggs) (in 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍃 (gadiliggs)). More at -le, -ing.
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Examples
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