Underling
/ˈʌndərlɪŋ/noun
A person of lower rank or status, especially a subordinate.
Did you know?The word is built with the Germanic diminutive suffix -ling, which often marked something small or associated with a thing, so the form originally suggested someone in an inferior, lesser position.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*under
“under, beneath, below”
Old English
OE
under
“under, beneath, in a lower position”
Old English
OE
-ling
“diminutive suffix used for a person or thing associated with something”
Middle English
ME
underling
“a subordinate or servant”
Modern English
English
underling
“a person of lower rank or status, especially a subordinate”