Dearling
/ˈdɪər.lɪŋ/noun
An archaic or dialectal term meaning a darling or beloved person.
Did you know?The suffix “-ling” was an Old English diminutive, so “dearling” literally framed affection as a cherished, intimate “little dear.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeus-
“To rejoice or be merry; a proposed ancestral root associated with the later Germanic sense of preciousness or value.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*diurijaz
“Valuable, costly, precious.”
Old English
Old English
dēore
“Dear, precious, beloved.”
Old English
Old English
dēorling
“A beloved person; literally a dear one formed with the diminutive suffix -ling.”
Middle English
Middle English
derling
“Darling, beloved person; a spelling and pronunciation ancestor of darling and dearling.”
Modern English
English
dearling
“An obsolete or dialectal form meaning darling.”