youngling

From Middle English youngling, ȝongelyng, ȝungling, from Old English ġeongling (“a youth, youngling”), from Proto-West Germanic *jungiling, from Proto-Germanic *jungalingaz, *jungilingaz (“young man, youngling”); equivalent to young +‎ -ling. Doublet of Yngling.

• IPA^(key): /ˈjʌŋlɪŋ/

youngling (comparative more youngling, superlative most youngling)

1. (archaic) Young; youthful.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:young

youngling (plural younglings)

1. A young person, animal, or plant; chit.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 52:

     More dear […] than younglings to their dam.

   • 1556, Nicholas Ridley, conference with Hugh Latimer:

     He will not be so willing, I think, to join with you, as with us younglings.

   • 2005 May 19, George Lucas, “Star Wars: Episode III ”, “Revenge of the Sith”, Lucasfilm

     Obi-Wan Kenobi: I have seen a security hologram of him...killing younglings.

• See also Thesaurus:youngling (animal) or Thesaurus:child (human)