A very small or insignificant thing or creature, possibly a variant or dialectal form combining diminutive suffixes.
From 'cuitting' or 'cuitte' with the addition of '-kin,' another diminutive suffix from Middle English and Dutch origin meaning 'little' (as in 'lambkin' or 'bumpkin').
English speakers went absolutely crazy with diminutive suffixes! We could say 'small,' but instead we invented 'kin,' 'ling,' and 'le' endings—layering them to show real affection or dismissal in just one word.
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