word-forming element, originally a diminutive suffix but not now always felt as one, Middle English, from Old French -et (fem. -ete; Modern French -et, -ette), from Vulgar Latin *-ittum/*-itta (source also of Spanish -eto/-eta, Italian -etto/-etta), of unknown origin. The French forms are reduced to -et in English, but later borrowings of French words in -ette tend to keep that ending.

1814, "a short sermon," often disparaging, a diminutive from sermon with -ette. Poe used sermonoid (1849); sermuncle (1886) also has been tried.  To describe notably trifling efforts, English writers have coveted the Italian double diminutive sermonettino (in English from 1818).

small surgical instrument for smoothing or scraping away, 1753, from French curette "a scoop, scraper" (15c.), from curer "to clear, cleanse" (from Latin curare; see cure (v.)) + -ette (see -ette).

"small room or alcove set aside for meals," 1930, from dine + diminutive (or false French) suffix -ette. Earlier it meant "preliminary dinner, luncheon" (1870).

The Court dinner-hour, in the reign of George III., was at the Hanoverian hour of four o'clock. During the reign of George IV. it gradually crept up to six o'clock, and finally became steady at the Indian hour of seven, and so remained until the reign of Her Most gracious Majesty, when the formal Court dinner-hour became eight o'clock. These innovations on the national hours of meals did not meet the approval of the medical faculty, and in consequence a dinette at two o'clock was prescribed. This has ever since been the favourite Court meal, being in reality a substantial hot repast, which has exploded the old-fashioned luncheon of cold viands. [The Queen newspaper, London, quoted in Imperial Dictionary, 1883]

"floppy disk," 1973, from disk with diminutive suffix -ette.

"woman, girl," by 1991, from dude in the surfer/teen slang sense + fem. ending -ette. Earlier (in the fastidious dresser/Old West sense) were dudine (1883), dudess (1885).

"short feature film," 1942, from feature (n.) in the cinematography sense + -ette.

1905, American English, a hybrid from kitchen + -ette.

type of restaurant, 1906, American English, from luncheon + diminutive ending -ette.

1570s, "semi-circular partial horseshoe," from French lunette (13c.), literally "little moon," diminutive of lune "moon," from Latin luna (see luna + -ette). Later applied to a wide range of objects and ornamentations more or less resembling a crescent moon.