Where does “Darling” come from?
Darling is an English word of unknown ultimate origin, possibly derived from diminutive forms in Germanic languages but lacking clear documented etymology.
Darling (English): originally a nickname from darling
Definitions
- originally a nickname from darling
Ancestry of “Darling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dereling | darling |
| 2 | Middle English | derelyng | darling |
| 3 | Old English | dīerling | a favourite; darling |
| 4 | Old English | -ling | adverbial suffix denoting direction, state or... |
| 5 | Old English | lang | long; lasting; old, ancient; advanced |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | lang | long |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | langaz | long |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dlongʰos | long |