Kipperling
/ˈkɪpər.lɪŋ/noun
A small kipper, especially a small cured or smoked herring.
Did you know?The ending “-ling” descends from an old Germanic suffix used in words such as “duckling” and “darling,” often carrying a diminutive or relational sense.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*-lingaz
“A suffix forming nouns associated with something small, young, or connected to something else.”
Old English
Old English
-ling
“A productive noun-forming suffix used for diminutives, young creatures, and persons associated with an action or condition.”
Middle English
Middle English
kiper
“A kipper or fish prepared by salting and smoking; the ultimate origin of kipper is uncertain.”
Early Modern English
English
kipper
“A fish, especially a herring, split and cured by salting and smoking.”
19th–20th Century
English
kipperling
“A small kipper; a rare diminutive formation built from “kipper” and “-ling.””