Deerlet

/ˈdɪr.lɪt/ noun

Definition

A young or small deer, especially a fawn.

Etymology

From 'deer' plus the diminutive suffix '-let' (from Old French, meaning small). This suffix was productively used in English to create terms for young or small versions of animals, similar to 'piglet' or 'leaflet'.

Kelly Says

The '-let' suffix is a linguistic time capsule—it shows how Middle English borrowed French patterns for talking about tiny things, and we still use it today without realizing it's centuries old.

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