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
- A person who is dear to one; A kind or sweet...
Ancestry of “darling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dereling | darling |
| 2 | Middle English | derelyng | — |
| 3 | Old English | dīerling | — |
| 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 |
Words derived from “darling”