Devilkin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, mischievous demon or minor devil, often pictured as a sprite causing petty trouble
2. An imp-like creature of lesser evil, a diminutive devil associated with mischief and temptation
3. A tiny, impish spirit of wickedness, the sort of little devil found in folklore and old stories

Etymology: "Devilkin" is a plain compound of "devil" and the diminutive suffix "-kin," which English borrowed from Middle Dutch and which attaches to a base word to mean "little" or "young." Put together, the word describes a small or minor devil, a lesser imp rather than the great adversary himself. The same idea appears in German as "Teufelchen," built on the diminutive "-chen," so the notion of a tiny, mischievous devil was shaped in much the same way in both languages. The suffix is the more lively part of the story. "-kin" is a relatively rare diminutive in English, mostly surviving in words like "lambkin," "napkin," and "manikin," and it gives a slightly affectionate or dismissive tone. "Devilkin" therefore sounds less menacing than "devil" itself, closer to a playful nuisance than a figure of dread.

Synonyms: imp, hellion

Antonyms: angel