An archaic or poetic term for an earthling; a creature or being that lives on the earth.
Formed from 'earth' plus the diminutive or agent suffix '-ling,' creating a word meaning 'a creature of the earth.' Related formations appear in Tolkien's writings, which drew on archaic English patterns.
Tolkien loved archaic English suffixes and probably knew 'erthling'—his linguistic inventions follow the exact same patterns as real Middle English words, which is why his invented languages feel so authentic.
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