A person or thing from the east, or one who dwells in the eastern regions.
From Middle English 'east' (direction of sunrise) + '-ling' (suffix denoting a person or creature associated with something). The '-ling' suffix comes from Old English and Germanic roots meaning 'one who belongs to or is characterized by.'
The '-ling' suffix is fascinating because it's typically applied with a slightly diminutive or descriptive tone—we get 'changeling,' 'duckling,' and 'hireling.' 'Eastlin' shows how medieval English speakers playfully categorized people by their geography, much like we might call someone a 'Californian' today.
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