Bratling

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tiny, often troublesome youth known for their playful antics and ability to annoy others
2. A young child characterized by being small-sized and often causing minor trouble through playful behavior
3. A little kid frequently displaying cheeky or unruly actions that bother those around them

Etymology: "Bratling" is a compound of "brat" and the suffix "-ling," and the suffix does most of the work here. "-ling" descends from an Old English form that was used to make diminutive nouns, words for small or young things, so a "duckling" is a little duck and a "gosling" a little goose. The suffix traces back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic, where it was built from a diminutive element that was already attached to nouns in those early Germanic languages. The base word "brat" is the more colourful half. It was used in English for a child, often with a sense of contempt, and it was also applied to a child's garment or cloak, which is probably why it carried the connotation of something ill-fitting or shabby. Attaching "-ling" to it gives a small, young, troublesome child, the kind of little person who is more mischief than menace. The word is simple in construction, but the suffix has been productive for over a thousand years, and this word belongs to that long line of miniature-making.

Synonyms: child, kid, youngster, rascal, scamp

Antonyms: adult, grown-up, mature person, elder, parent