Noggie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small drinking vessel, traditionally carved from wood and used for serving a measure of liquor or ale
2. A little cup or mug, often made of wood, used in older times for drinking small amounts of spirits
3. Refers to a small, usually wooden container from which a person sips a modest measure of drink

Etymology: "Noggie" is a Scottish word, formed from "nog" with the diminutive suffix "-ie". "Nog" in this sense is a small wooden peg or block, and the Scots "-ie" ending turns the base into a little version of the thing it names, so a noggie is a small wooden peg. The pattern is familiar from other Scots and northern English words, where a suffix of this kind marks something small or affectionate. The word is worth knowing because its meaning sits so close to its origin: it names a physical object, not an abstract idea, and the object is a simple piece of wood used for fastening or filling a gap. Because the formation is transparent, the etymology is plain, and the word's whole story is contained in the two parts that make it up.