Churchlet

/ˈtʃɜːtʃlət/ noun

Definition

A small church or chapel; a diminutive or humble place of worship.

Etymology

From church + -let (a diminutive suffix meaning 'small'). The -let suffix comes from Old French and was borrowed into Middle English, used to create terms for smaller versions of things (booklet, streamlet).

Kelly Says

The -let suffix was English's favorite way to make something sound small and cute before we started using 'mini-' and '-ette'; a 'streamlet' feels more poetic than a 'small stream,' which is why place names like 'Ringlet' and 'Hamlet' still charm us.

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