A young or minor bard, or an inferior poet trying to imitate great bards.
From 'bard' + '-let' (a diminutive suffix meaning 'small' or 'lesser'). The '-let' suffix comes from Old French and means to create a smaller or lesser version of something, similar to 'booklet' or 'piglet'.
The diminutive '-let' suffix is hilariously productive in English—we can add it to almost any noun to express affection or mockery, so a 'bardlet' could be either cute or condescending depending on tone!
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