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Definition 2024


-lings

-lings

See also: lings

English

Suffix

-lings

  1. (now Britain dialectal) Forming adverbs, generally of condition or situation.

Derived terms

  • Category:English words suffixed with -lings

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

The suffix is a combination of the suffix -ling and the adverb-forming -s.

Suffix

-lings

  1. Describes a manner in which an action proceeds as defined by root to which it is added, both as adverb and as adjective.
    Hij dook zijdelings weg. He ducked away sideways.

Derived terms


German

Etymology

From Middle High German -lingen, from Old High German lingūn. The modern form with -s is of Central and Low German origin; compare Middle Low German -linges.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɪŋs/

Suffix

-lings

  1. (rare, not productive) Forms adverbs that describe the manner of an action, particularly a movement.
    bäuchlings — “on one’s belly”
    blindlings — “blindly, hastily, pell-mell”
    rittlings — “astride, sitting on something like on a mount”
    rücklings — “one one’s back”

Usage notes

  • The suffix was common and productive into early modern German. Most adverbs with it, apart from the four named above, are now archaic.

Derived terms

  • ärschlings, finsterlings, frühlings, häuptlings, jählings, knielings, meuchlings, reitlings, schrittlings, seitlings, vorlings