Where does “darling” come from?

Darling comes from Middle English dereling, from Old English dēorling, a diminutive formation whose original meaning is not established.

darling (English): A person who is dear to one; A kind or sweet...

Definitions

  1. A person who is dear to one; A kind or sweet...

Ancestry of “darling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishderelingdarling
2Middle Englishderelyngdarling
3Old Englishdīerlinga favourite; darling
4Old English-lingadverbial suffix denoting direction, state or...
5Old Englishlanglong; lasting; old, ancient; advanced
6Proto-West Germaniclanglong
7Proto-Germaniclangazlong
8Proto-Indo-Europeandlongʰoslong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dlongʰos →Every word from Proto-Germanic langaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic lang →