long, slender European fish, c. 1300, lenge, common Germanic, cognate with Dutch leng, German Leng, Old Norse langa, probably ultimately related to long (adj.) and so named for its length.

diminutive word-forming element, early 14c., from Old English -ling a nominal suffix (not originally diminutive), from Proto-Germanic *-linga-; attested in historical Germanic languages as a simple suffix, but probably representing a fusion of two suffixes: 1. that represented by English -el (1), as in thimble, handle; and 2. -ing, suffix indicating "person or thing of a specific kind or origin;" in masculine nouns also "son of" (as in farthing, atheling, Old English horing "adulterer, fornicator"), from PIE *-(i)ko- (see -ic).

Both these suffixes had occasional diminutive force, but this was only slightly evident in Old English -ling and its equivalents in Germanic languages except Norse, where it commonly was used as a diminutive suffix, especially in words designating the young of animals (such as gæslingr "gosling"). Thus it is possible that the diminutive use that developed in Middle English is from Old Norse.

Proto-Indo-European root, the stem of demonstrative pronoun meaning "this."

It forms all or part of: cis-; et cetera; harass; he; hence; her; here; him; his; hither; it.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by:  Greek ekeinos "that person;" Latin cis "on this side," citra (adv.) "on this side;" Old Church Slavonic si, Lithuanian is, Hittite ki "this;" Old English hider, Gothic hidre "hither."

"one who is crazy," 1940, from earlier adjective (1935), from noun meaning "the sound of little bells" (1894), ultimately imitative of the tinkling sound (by 1848; see ding (v.)). The extended senses are from the notion of hearing bells in the head.

"sound made by a crowing cock," 1570s, imitative; compare French cocorico, German kikeriki, Latin cucurire, Russian kikareku, Vietnamese cuc-cu, Arabic ko-ko, etc., and compare cock (n.1).

"puny or contemptible lord," late 13c., from lord (n.) + -ling.

1530s, from wean + -ling.

"lamb, kid," 1630s, from yean + -ling.

Old English word meaning "a youth;" from fruma "first, beginning" (see foremost) + beard (n.) + -ling.

Zen paradox meant to stimulate the mind, 1918, from Japanese ko "public" + an "matter for thought."