-let

See also: Appendix:Variations of "let"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -let, -elet, from Old French -elet, a double diminutive from Old French -el + -et.

Suffix

-let

1. A diminutive suffix; for example:

   booklet, a small book

   applet, a small computer application

   owlet, a small (young) owl

   piglet, a small (young) pig

   manlet, a short man

2. Piece; as in a suit of armor; for example:

   bracelet, the "arm piece" or "arm protector"

   gauntlet, the "glove piece" or "glove protector"

   epaulet, the "shoulder piece" or "shoulder protector"

Usage notes

Alongside -ie / -y, -ling, and -ette, -let is one of the three most productive diminutive affixes in modern English. It is used almost exclusively with concrete nouns and (unusually for a diminutive) never with names. When used with objects, it generally denotes diminution only in size; when used with animals, it generally denotes young animals; when used with adult persons, it is generally depreciative, connoting pettiness and conveying contempt. When used to describe parts in a suit of armor and some other contexts it denotes a piece or component of the larger whole.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -let

See also

• -et
• -ette

 

References

• Schneider, Klaus P. Diminutives in English, p. 96 et seq. 2003.
• http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/let_n1
• http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/let_n

Anagrams

• ELT, ETL, LTE, TEL, TLE, Tel., elt, tel

Hungarian

Etymology

-l +‎ -et, created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries. The neologists popularized it based on verbs ending in -l and further derived with -at/-et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lɛt]
• Rhymes: -ɛt

Suffix

-let

1. (noun-forming suffix) Added to different parts of speech to form a noun.

   rész (“part”) → részlet (“detail”)

   keres (“to search”) → kereslet (“demand (in economics)”)

   egy (“one”) → egylet (“society, association, club”)

Usage notes

• (noun-forming suffix) Harmonic variants:

  -lat is added to a back-vowel word

  -let is added to a front-vowel word

• Some nouns end in -let even though they only have the suffix -et after a stem-final -l, for example ötlet.

Derived terms

Hungarian nouns suffixed with -let

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes