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The suffix –kin is used as a diminutive. In other words, it denotes that something is “little,” either literally or figuratively. It is very occasionally used in a variety of informal and everyday terms.

The form –kin comes from Middle English. Similar diminutives in English include –en (as in kitten) and –y (as in baby). Check out our entries for both suffixes to learn how frequently they appear.

One example of a term that features the suffix -kin as a diminutive is ladykin, a familiar term meaning “a little lady.”

The beginning of the word, lady-, means roughly “woman.” As we have seen, the suffix –kin means “little.” Ladykin literally means “little woman.”

What are some words that use the combining form –kin?

• babykin
• boomkin (using the equivalent form of –kin in Dutch)
• catkin (using the equivalent form of –kin in Dutch)
• firkin (using the equivalent form of –kin in Middle English)
• lambkin
• manikin (using the equivalent form of –kin in Dutch)
• princekin

What are some other forms that –kin may be commonly confused with?

• -kind
• -kinesis
• -skin

Not every word that ends with the exact letters –kin, such as otherkin, is necessarily using the combining form –kin to denote “little.” Learn why otherkin means “someone who identifies as a non-human species or mythological entity” at our entry for the word.

Given the meaning of -kin, what does babykin mean?