-ling

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ling"

English

Etymology 1

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.

Alternative forms

• -lyng (obsolete)
• -lin (dialectal)

Suffix

-ling

2. small, immature, miniature
4. follower or resident

Usage notes

Words ending in -ing derived from a root or stem terminating in -l or -le, such as dazzling, have usually only an accidental resemblance, although sometimes there is a connection, as in sidling, which derives from Middle English in this form, and which is also a present participle form of the modern English verb to sidle, which in itself is a back-formation from sidling.

Derived terms

(Diminutive):

• buckling
• castling
• darling
• daughterling
• doeling
• duckling
• earthling
• fatling
• fingerling
• fledgling
• fondling
• goatling
• godling
• gosling
• lambling
• lordling
• pigling
• princeling
• puffling
• spiderling
• sportling
• swanling
• vetchling

 

(Quality):

• cageling
• changeling
• darkling
• earthling
• endling
• firstling
• foundling
• hatchling
• hireling
• kindling
• nestling
• overling
• ridgeling
• sapling
• seedling
• shaveling
• starveling
• stripling
• suckling
• underling
• weakling
• wildling
• witling
• wordling
• yearling
• youngling

 

Translations

Diminutive

• Breton: -ig (br) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小 (zh) (xiǎo-), 崽 (zh) (-zǎi), -子 (zh) (-zi)

• Dutch: -je (nl), -pje (nl), -tje (nl), -ling (nl)
• Estonian: -kene sg, -lane (et) sg
• Finnish: -nen (fi), -lainen (fi)
• French: -et (fr) m, -ette (fr) f, -in (fr) m, -ine (fr) f
• Galician: -iño (gl) m, iña f
• German: -chen (de), -lein (de), -erl (de) (south German)
• Interlingua: -etto m or n, -etta f or n
• Irish: -án m, -ín m, -óg f
• Italian: -ino (it) m, -ina (it) f, -etto m, -etta f, -ello m, -ella f
• Japanese: 子 (ja) (こ, ko-)
• Middle English: -ling, -ing
• Polish: -ę (pl) n
• Portuguese: -inho (pt)
• Romanian: -el (ro), -șor, -uț, -uș, -aș (ro)
• Russian: -ёнок m (-jónok), -о́нок (ru) m (-ónok), -ок (ru) (-ok), -ёк (ru) (-jók)
• Scottish Gaelic: -an m, -ag f
• Sicilian: -eḍḍu m, -eḍḍa f, -uzzu m, -uzza f, -icchiu m, -icchia f, -ittu m, -itta f ((italianized) also as -ettu m, -etta f), -inu m, -ina f
• Spanish: -ito (es) m, -ita (es) f, -illo (es) m, -illa (es) f
• Swedish: -is (sv)
• Ukrainian: -еня́ (-enjá), -о́чок (-óčok), -е́нько (-énʹko)
• Welsh: -ig m or f, -cyn m, -os m pl or f pl

Etymology 2

From Middle English -ling, from Old English -ling, -linga, -lunga (adverbial suffix). Compare -long.

Alternative forms

• -lings
• -lin (dialectal)

Suffix

-ling

1. (non-productive) An adverbial suffix denoting manner, direction or position.

Derived terms

• darkling
• flatling
• headling
• sideling
• sunderling

 

See also

• -en
• -le
• -ock

English terms suffixed with -ling

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

• lign-

Dutch

Etymology

From a rebracketing of nouns with an -ing suffix. See above (English).

Suffix

-ling m

1. A suffix that describes a person (or other creature) in terms of a place of origin or a quality, as defined by the root to which it is added.

Derived terms

• -lings - adverbs
• -linge f

Dutch terms suffixed with -ling

German

Etymology

From Middle High German -linc, from Old High German -ling, from Proto-West Germanic *-ling.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lɪŋ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-ling m (genitive -linges or -lings, plural -linge)

1. Indicates possession of or connection with a quality or property, such as Schwächling (“weakling”) from schwach (“weak”) or Frühling (“the season Spring [which comes early]”) from früh (“early”).
2. A modifier of nouns, meaning a follower or resident of what is denoted by the stem form, such as Häftling from Haft.
3. Suffix forming the names of many mushrooms.

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -ling

Icelandic

Suffix

-ling

1. indefinite accusative singular of -lingur

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-linɡ/

Etymology 1

From Old English -ling (nominal suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-ling, from Proto-Germanic *-ilingaz; equivalent to -el +‎ -ing.

Alternative forms

• -linge, -lingge, -lyng, -lynge

Suffix

-ling

2. suffix used in forming personal nouns
3. suffix forming diminutives

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -ling

Descendants

• English: -ling
• Scots: -ling, -lin

References

• “-ling, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English -ling (adverbial suffix).

Suffix

-ling

2. An adverbial suffix denoting direction, state or position.

Descendants

• English: -ling, -long (as in headlong)

References

• “-ling(e, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From German -ling.

Suffix

-ling

1. denoting diminutive

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /linɡ/, [liŋɡ]

Etymology 1

From alteration of suffixal use of Old English lang (“long”).

Suffix

-ling

2. adverbial suffix denoting direction, state or position

   hinderling ― backwards

Descendants

• Middle English: -ling
  • English: -ling, -long (as in headlong)

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *-ling, from Proto-Germanic *-ilingaz.

Alternative forms

• -linc

Suffix

-ling m

2. suffix used in forming personal nouns

   dīerling ― favorite, darling

   rǣpling ― prisoner

3. suffix forming diminutives

   stærling ― starling

4. dynasty, lineage

   Icling ("dynasty of Icel" or "House of Icel"); Ætheling (House of Ethel)

Declension

Declension of -ling (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-ling	-lingas
accusative	-ling	-lingas
genitive	-linges	-linga
dative	-linge	-lingum

Derived terms

Old English terms suffixed with -ling

Descendants

• Middle English: -ling
  • English: -ling