What is the ‘-ling’ in darling? (And what is the ‘dar-’ for that matter?)

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(And what is the ‘dar-’ for that matter?) | OxfordWords blog"/> <meta property="og:description" content="One media darling in recent popular culture has been actor, heartthrob, and internet meme Ryan Gosling. His fans, no doubt, readily find a connection between darling and Gosling. And the etymologists among them – yes, they have lives too – find another one. It’s -ling. 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(And what is the ‘dar-’ for that matter?)</span></p> </div> <div class="gen-post-content add-post-content"> <h1>What is the ‘-ling’ in darling? (And what is the ‘dar-’ for that matter?)</h1> </p> <p>One media darling in recent popular culture has been actor, heartthrob, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://www.eonline.com/news/794276/the-oral-history-of-memes-where-did-hey-girl-come-from">internet meme</a> Ryan Gosling. His fans, no doubt, readily find a connection between <em>darling</em> and <em>Gosling</em>. And the etymologists among them<em> – </em>yes, they have lives too<em> – </em>find another one. It’s <em>-ling</em>.</p> <p>The <em>-ling</em> in <em>darling </em>and <em>Gosling </em>(if we treat the surname as ‘young goose’, as many do) is an old suffix that indicated ‘belonging to, concerned with, or having the quality of’ some matter. It could also carry a <a ref="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/diminutive">diminutive</a> force. Documented in Old English, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/darling"><em>darling</em></a><em> </em>is literally ‘a dear thing’, with <em>dar-</em> from <em>dear</em>, or ‘precious, worthy, tenderly regarded’. Attested in the early 1400s, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/gosling"><em>gosling</em></a>, then, is a ‘little goose’, <em>gos- </em>being <em>goose</em>. Isn’t that darling?</p> <h2>The lingo of ‘-ling’</h2> <p>Rooted in Germanic, this <em>-ling </em>is considered, etymologically, two suffixes for the price of one. It comprises a form of <em>-ing </em>and <em>-el </em>or <em>-le</em>. (The noun-forming –<em>ling</em> here is not to be confused with another <em>-ling</em> suffix, which once made adverbs, as in <em>backlings</em>, or ‘backwards’.)</p> <p>This particular <em>-ing</em> made masculine nouns diminutive and signified belonging or quality. It appears to survive in <em>king</em>, smushed from the Old English <em>cyning</em>, believed to join <em>kin </em>and this same <em>-ing</em>. The suffix <em>-el</em> or <em>-le</em> shows up in various words, especially to name tools (<em>handle</em>, <em>thimble</em>, <em>bridle</em>) and express ‘aptness to’, as in <em>brittle</em>, <em>fickle</em>, or <em>nimble</em>.</p> <p><em>-Ling</em> was productive into Early Modern English, though a great many of its historic forms have long become obsolete. Old English had <em>gadling</em> (‘kinsman, relative, companion’); <em>evenling</em> (‘an equal’); and <em>witherling</em> (‘a foe’). It’s a shame we lost some of these Old English <em>-ling</em>’s. A <em>frumbderling</em> was a ‘youth’ (<em>frumbder-</em> from ‘first beard’) while a <em>tharfling</em> was ‘unleavened bread’ (<em>tharf</em> being ‘lumpish’). Again, aren’t they darling?</p> <p>Not all of these early <em>-ling</em>’s died out, though. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/starling"><em>Starling</em></a>, for the ‘European songbird’, and <a ref="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/underling"><em>underling</em></a>, for a ‘subordinate’, both date back to Anglo-Saxon days. <em>Underling</em> once had a counterpart, <em>overling</em>, in Middle English. </p> <p>And we nearly lost, due to whatever accident of history, one of the most familiar instances of <em>-ling</em>: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sibling"><em>sibling</em></a>. In Old English, a <em>sibling</em> was a relative, with <em>sib</em> an adjective and noun for ‘(one) related by blood or descent’. (That <em>sib</em> also shows up in <em>gossip</em>, from <em>godsibb</em>, ‘godparent’; in Middle English this was used for ‘a close friend’, especially ‘a person with whom one gossips’, hence its evolution into ‘idle talk’ centuries later.) At present, the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em> enters one instance of <em>sibling</em> in Old English and another in Middle English, ostensibly dead until the word was revived as a technical term in early 20th century anthropology and genetics.</p> <p>Other common –<em>ling</em>s crop up throughout the ensuing centuries. The 1300s give us <a ref="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/foundling"><em>foundling</em></a>, ‘an infant abandoned by its parents and found and cared for by others’. The 1400s evidence <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/duckling"><em>duckling</em></a><em> </em>(<em>ugly duckling</em> in the 1870s), <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/suckling"><em>suckling</em></a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sapling"><em>sapling</em></a>. The 1500s record <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/nursling"><em>nursling</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/weakling"><em>weakling</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/scantling"><em>scantling</em></a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/earthling"><em>earthling</em></a>, though the science-fiction <em>Earthling</em> doesn’t come until the 1800s. </p> <p>The 1500s also record <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/starveling"><em>starveling</em></a><em> </em>(‘an undernourished person or creature’) and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/changeling"><em>changeling</em></a>, which in folklore was a child left by fairies in exchange for a stolen one. The 1600s show <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/groundling"><em>groundling</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/seedling"><em>seedling</em></a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dumpling"><em>dumpling</em></a>, which appears to be <em>dump </em>plus <em>-ling</em>. Two surprisingly late –<em>ling</em>’s with wings are <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fledgling"><em>fledgeling</em></a><em> </em>and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/hatchling"><em>hatchling</em></a>, which aren’t recorded until the 1800s.</p> <h2><em>Beastlings</em> of the earth, <em>birdlings</em> of the sky</h2> <p>Animals are a common species of –<em>ling</em> elsewhere in annals of the suffix, with many of these <em>-ling</em> words doubling as terms of endearment or formed as <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/nonce_word">nonce words</a>. We have many a <em>birdling </em>(‘young or small bird’): <em>chickling</em>, <em>crowling</em>, <em>doveling</em>, <em>sparrowling</em>, <em>nestling</em>, <em>chirpling</em>, and <em>peepling</em>, to name a few. And many a <em>beastling </em>(‘young or small beast’), too, including <em>toadling</em>, <em>lambling</em>, <em>pigling</em>, <em>gnatling</em>, <em>wormling</em>, <em>dogling</em>, and <em>ratling</em>. We think you get the idea – but <em>toadling</em>, another darling!</p> <p>Some interesting food items – or <em>dishlings</em>, ‘little dishes of food’ – are in store. Besides <em>tharfling</em> and <em>dumpling</em>, you can nosh on a <em>sauserling</em> (‘a sausage’) and <em>bloodling</em> (‘blood pudding’). <em>Stuckling</em> is a Suffolk regional word for an ‘apple turnover’ while <em>carling</em> is a dish of boiled peas historically served on Care Sunday, once a term for the fifth Sunday in Lent. And save room for <em>cheeseling</em>, apparently a cheese-in-process. <em>Cheeseling</em>: yet another darling, no?</p> <h2>The many <em>siblings</em> of ‘-ling’</h2> <p>By far the largest class of <em>-ling</em> words are people. Middle English had <em>heanling</em> and <em>hinderling</em> (‘contemptible person’); <em>comeling</em> (‘newcomer’) and <em>out-comeling </em>(‘stranger’); <em>afterling</em> (‘descendant’); and <em>wendling</em> (‘wanderer’).</p> <p>Outside <em>darling</em>, there’s a sizable group of pet terms for sweethearts, little children, or delicate persons or creatures: <em>niceling</em>, <em>tenderling</em>, <em>kidling</em>, <em>dandling</em>, <em>grandling</em> (‘grandchild’), <em>heartling</em>, <em>loveling</em>, <em>sweetling</em>, <em>sportling</em> (‘lively little person’), <em>liebling</em> (from German <em>lieb</em>, ‘dear’), and <em>pinkling</em>. There are a few terms for naughtier wee ones, too: <em>pertling</em>, <em>bratling</em>, <em>bantling</em>, em>tidling, <em>getling</em>, and <em>petling</em>.</p> <p>The real fun with <em>-ling</em>, though, starts in the 1500-1600s, when the suffix takes on a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dismissive">dismissive</a> and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/contemptuous">contemptuous</a> tone, characterizing someone as minor, petty, or base in some way. <em>-Ling</em> hits the court with <em>kinglings</em> and <em>princelings</em>. It hits insignificant writers and thinkers with nonce words like <em>witling</em>, <em>poetling</em>, <em>authorling</em>, <em>bardling</em>, <em>philosopherling</em>, <em>wiseling </em>(‘pretender to wisdom’), and <em>thinkling </em>(‘thinker of no consequence’). </p> <p>Don’t think the law is immune: <em>lawyerling</em> is recorded. Priests, especially Catholic ones, have been a frequent target of the snubbing <em>-ling</em>: A <a ref="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/shaveling"><em>shaveling</em></a>, for the tonsured head of a churchman, is recorded in 1529. <em>Friarling</em>, <em>greaseling</em>, <em>popeling</em>, <em>shriveling</em>, <em>ointling</em>, and <em>peterling</em> are some other colorful examples.</p> <p>Apparently formed as a rhyming antonym for <em>darling</em>, a <em>warling</em> is a ‘despised person’, while others found in the 1600s include <em>rashling</em> for a ‘rash person’, a <em>lapling</em> as a ‘person fond of a lady’s lap’, <em>punkling</em> a ‘young prostitute’, an <em>airling</em> a ‘young, thoughtless person’ (later, creature of the air), and a <em>profaneling</em> a ‘person given to swearing’. Found in the 1800s, a <em>gutterling</em> is a ‘person born in the gutter’, or a ‘low-status person’. <em>Profaneling</em> – yup, you know what I’m thinking.</p> <p>It’s not all nastiness for us <em>fleshlings</em> and <em>deathlings</em>, or ‘mortal beings’. A <em>worldling</em> (1549) is ‘devoted to life’s pleasures’, a <em>fortunateling</em> (1605) is ‘favored by fortune’, and a <em>wonderling </em>(1658)is a ‘wonderful being’. Not to mention a wonderful word.</p> <h2>Why not try some ‘newlings’? </h2> <p>Most of the various <em>thinglings</em> of <em>-ling</em>, as you’ve surely gathered, are long lost – or never had much of a life in the first place. Still, we think some are very useful or the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mot_juste">mot juste</a> and deserve resuscitation. <em>Beardling </em>(1622)? A ‘person who wears a beard’. <em>Monthling </em>(1804)? A baby whose age is measured in months. <em>Thoughtling </em>(1811)? A ‘little thought’. <em>Giftling </em>(1860)? A ‘little gift’. (1872)<em>Lostling</em>?‘Something lost’. </p> <p>All these words make us wonder. Sure, <em>-ling</em>, due to whatever randomness of language change, pressures of other diminutive suffixes like <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/-let"><em>-let</em></a> (e.g.,<em> booklet</em> or <em>piglet)</em>, or the simple utility of the modifier <em>little</em>, largely fell out of use. But could it have a seat at the lexical table again? Could it form some new, shall we say, ‘wordlings’? Or maybe better yet, ‘newlings’?</p> <p>A <em>textling</em> could be a ‘short text message’.A <em>meetling</em> could be a ‘quick meeting or meet-up’. A <em>laughling</em> could be ‘something mildly funny’. A <em>hipling</em> or a <em>trendling</em> could be a ‘person obsessed with trends’. A <em>splainling</em> ‘someone given to condescendingly explaining things’ (like a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mansplainer">mansplainer</a>). A <em>striveling</em> could be ‘a person constantly hustling for success’. </p> <p>And a <em>tripling</em>, for a final invention, could be a ‘brief visit or getaway’ or maybe even a ‘short journey in a rideshare vehicle’ – though it’s a form like <em>tripling</em> that gets <em>-ling</em> in trouble, as it can be confused for progressive or gerund forms of verbs ending in <em>-le</em>, such as <em>assembling</em> or <em>trickling. </em>Perhaps that’s another reason <em>-ling</em> petered out. </p> <p>Useful or not, you have to admit: <em>-ling</em> is pretty darling little suffix in English. 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Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://twitter.com/mashedradish">@mashedradish</a> and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://twitter.com/bardconfidensh">@bardconfidensh</a>.</p> <ul> <li> <h6>Published</h6> <p>January 4 / 2019</p> </li> <li> <h6>Categories</h6> <ul class="post-categories"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/category/word-origins/" rel="category tag">Word origins</a></li></ul> </li> <li> <h6>Tags</h6> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/ling/" rel="tag">-ling</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/darling/" rel="tag">darling</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/middle-english/" rel="tag">Middle English</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/obsolete/" rel="tag">obsolete</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/old-english/" rel="tag">Old English</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/what-in-the-word/" rel="tag">what in the word</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/tag/word-origins-tag/" rel="tag">word origins</a></p> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="banner sec">  <div id="div-gpt-ad-1471358448959-1"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1471358448959-1'); }); </script> </div> </div> <div class="rel-posts"> <h4>Related posts</h4> <div class="post-box"> <div class="post-img"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2018/11/19/what-is-the-wright-in-playwright/"><img width="566" height="377" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-566x377.jpg" class="attachment-bigembed size-bigembed wp-post-image" alt="what is the wright in playwright" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-566x377.jpg 566w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-300x200.jpg 300w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-768x512.jpg 768w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-460x307.jpg 460w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-783x522.jpg 783w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-126x84.jpg 126w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-172x115.jpg 172w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-108x72.jpg 108w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header-43x30.jpg 43w, https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628im_/https://27ldk4j1esh2tto962ds2vk1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Wright-John-Taylor-header.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 566px) 100vw, 566px"/> </a> </div> <div class="post-info"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190406175628/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2018/11/19/what-is-the-wright-in-playwright/" title="What is the ‘wright’ in ‘playwright’?" rel="bookmark">What is the ‘wright’ in ‘playwright’?</a></h3> <p>A playwright, of course, writes plays. 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What is the ‘-ling’ in darling? (And what is the ‘dar-’ for that matter?) | OxfordWords blog