Etymology

-ling

Today it means: small, immature, miniature Full definition →

Middle English -ling ← Old English -ling ← Proto-West Germanic *-ling
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-ling · suffix1

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*-ingaz
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*-ilaz
  3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-lingaz
  4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*-ling
  5. Old English · inherited from-ling
  6. Middle English · inherited from-ling
  7. English today-ling

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.

-ling · suffix2

  1. Old English · inherited from-ling
  2. Middle English · inherited from-ling
  3. English today-ling

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.