An archaic or dialectal term for a young badger, or a term of contempt for a worthless or mischievous person.
From 'badger' plus the diminutive suffix '-ling' (meaning young or small). Old English and Middle English frequently used '-ling' to indicate youth or smallness.
Medieval English loved using '-ling' for young animals—duckling, gosling, piglet—but it was also used as an insult ('underling,' 'weakling'), showing how the same suffix could be either cute or contemptuous depending on tone!
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