kinglet en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic *kunją Proto-Indo-European *-n̥kʷo-der.? Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Germanic *-īnaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz ? Proto-Germanic *-ingaz Proto-Germanic *kuningaz Proto-West Germanic *kuning Old English cyning Middle English king English king Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin -ellus Old French -el Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Old French -et Old French -eletbor. Middle English -let English -let English kinglet From king + -let.
Meanings
-
(derogatory) A petty king; a king ruling over a small or unimportant territory.
My son hears tales. In the viceroy’s personal entourage, one could scarcely help it. And he tells me of them. Our new viceroy would not refuse the Crown if offered, but he guards his line of retreat. There are stories that, failing Imperial heights, he plans to carve out a new Empire in the Barbarian hinterland. It is said, but I don’t vouch for this, that he has already given one of his daughters as wife to a Kinglet somewhere in the uncharted Periphery.
1951, Isaac Asimov, Foundation (1974 Panther Books Ltd publication), part V, chapter 10, pages 160–161Cæsar termeth all the Lords, which in his time had justice in France, to be Kinglets [tr. reguli], or pettie Kings.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 42, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
- A young or little king.
- A prince.
- Any of several birds of the family Regulidae.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kinglets | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
queenlet · queenlet · queenlet
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (22)
ca reietó (bird of the family Regulidae) · es régulo (petty king) · hu királyocska (petty king) · cs králíček (bird of the family Regulidae) · pl królik (petty king) · bg кралче (petty king) · pt régulo (petty king) · ast reyín (bird of the family Regulidae) · uk корольо́к (bird of the family Regulidae) · pl mysikrólik (bird of the family Regulidae) · ro aușel (bird of the family Regulidae) · fr roitelet (petty king) · ru царёк (petty king) · bg кралче (bird of the family Regulidae) · fr roitelet (bird of the family Regulidae) · hu királyka (bird of the family Regulidae) · bg царче (petty king) · de Goldhähnchen (bird of the family Regulidae) · uk царьо́к (petty king) · ru королёк (bird of the family Regulidae) · fi hippiäinen (bird of the family Regulidae) · ca reietó (petty king)