A young or small creature, especially used as an affectionate or diminutive term; a small or insignificant person.
From chip + diminutive suffix -ling, following the pattern of English words like 'duckling' and 'gosling' to denote something young or small.
The suffix '-ling' appears in English names for young animals and small things across centuries—from 'duckling' to 'earthling'—showing how language naturally creates terms of endearment by adding this ancient suffix.
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