A young calf or a small or inferior calf; possibly a term of endearment or contempt for a young bovine animal.
From 'calf' plus the diminutive suffix '-ling,' which creates nouns meaning 'a small version of' or 'one associated with.' Compare 'duckling' or 'gosling.'
The '-ling' suffix is how English captures 'cute small versions'—'calfling' sounds like something a farmer might call an adorable newborn calf, not a full-grown steer!
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