People who have less power or authority than someone else; subordinates or people lower in rank.
From under- (below) + -ling (a diminutive suffix meaning 'little' or 'one who is'). Literally means 'those beneath' or 'little ones under authority.'
The '-ling' suffix also appears in 'duckling' and 'seedling'—it's Old English's way of saying something small and dependent, which is why 'underling' carried a slightly insulting edge.
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