darling, n.1 and a.
(ˈdɑːlɪŋ)
Forms: 1–3 deorling, (1 dior-, dir-, dyrling), 1–6 derling, (4–6 derlinge, -yng(e), 2–4 durling, -yng, 5–6 darlyng(e, 6 darlinge, 6– darling; also 3 deoreling, 3–6 dereling, -yng, 4–6 deer(e)ling, -yng, 6–8 dearling, (6 -inge, -yng(e).
[OE. déorling, d{iacu}erling, deriv. of déor dear: see -ling. Thence ME. dereling, derling, which subseq. became darling, as usual with er followed by a consonant; but the analytical dere-ling, dear-ling also continued in partial use till the 18th c. or later, as a dialectal or nonce-form.]
1. A person who is very dear to another; the object of a person's love; one dearly loved. Commonly used as a term of endearing address.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxix. §10 Se godcunda anweald ᵹefriþode his diorlingas [v.r. deorlingas]. c 897 ― Gregory's Past. I. 393 Bi Dauide ðæm Godes dirlinge. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Thorpe) I. 58 (Bosw.) Iohannes se Godspellere, Cristes dyrling. a 1200 Moral Ode 385 Crist scal one beon inou alle his durlinges. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1538 Sweting welcome! Mi derworþe derling. 1388 Wyclif Song Sol. i, 13 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre. ? a 1400 Chester Plays iii. 372 And now farewell my darling deere. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 65 It is better to be An olde mans derlyng, than a yong mans werlyng. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 63 Flee, fle, my sweet darling. 1714 Gay Sheph. Week v. 110 While on her Dearling's Bed her Mother sate. 1842 Tennyson Gardener's Dau. 272 The idol of my youth, The darling of my manhood. 1859 ― Merlin & V. 395 Answer, darling, answer, no. |
† b. A favourite, a minion. Obs.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxvii. §2 Ȝif ðe licode his dysiᵹ..swa wel swa his dyseᵹum deorlingum dyde. a 1400–50 Alexander 3442 An ald derling of Darius was duke made of pers. 1530 Palsgr. 213/1 Derlyng, a man, mignon. 1548 Hall Chron. (1809) 219 The Quenes dearlynge William Duke of Suffolke. 1579 J. Stubbes Gaping Gulf E viij, The king..had like to haue marred al, by lauishing out a word hereof to one of hys deerelyngs. a 1719 Addison (J.), She became the darling of the princess. |
c. The favourite in a family, etc.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 50 Knoute of his body gate sonnes þre..Knoute lufed [Harald] best, he was his derlyng. 1675 Art Contentm. iv. §9 The most discountenanc'd child oft makes better proof, than the dearling. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iii. ii, John was the darling! He had all the good bits. |
d. One meet to be much loved, a lovable creature, a ‘pet’.
| 1799 Southey King of Crocodiles ii, Six young Princes, darlings all, Were missing. 1863 M. E. Braddon Eleanor's Vict. (1878) iii. 23 His duty towards those innocent darlings. 1864 Kingsley in Life xxi. (1879) II. 173 With every flock of sheep and girls are one or two enormous mastiffs..They are great darlings, and necessary against bear and wolf. |
2. transf. and fig. a. of persons, as the darling of the people, etc.
| c 1205 Lay. 6316 Alfred þe king, Englelondes deorling. Ibid. 25576 Þa spac Angel þe king, Scottene deorling. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke Pref. 8 Wantons and derelynges of fortune. 1615 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. xxiii. §36 Augustus Cæsar..when he was a dearling of the Senate. 1639 Fuller Holy War (1640) 1 A prince so good, that he was styled the Darling of mankind. 1702 Eng. Theophrast. 193 Fortune turns..every thing to the advantage of her Darlings. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. III. xxi. 508 Henry V was, as he deserved to be, the darling of the nation. |
b. of things.
| c 1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 25 Loue is goddis owne derlinge. 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades (1592) 303 Where God is, there also is Patience his derling which he nourisheth. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iii. iv. 66 Take heede on't, Make it a Darling, like your precious eye. 1750 G. Hughes Barbadoes Pref. 1 Then Oratory became their darling. 1870 Emerson Soc. & Solit., Work & Days Wks. (Bohn) III. 67 Trade, that pride and darling of our Ocean. |
† 3. A name for a variety of apple. Obs.
| 1586 Cogan Haven Health (1636) 101 The best Apples..are Pepins, Costards..Darlings, and such other. |
4. Comb., as darling-like adj. (nonce-wd.).
| 1873 Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 835 Her figure? somewhat small and darlinglike. |
B. adj. [attrib. use of n.]
1. Dearly loved, very dear; best-loved, favourite. a. of persons.
| [1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xvi. lxxii, Dyane derlyng pale as any leade.] 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. Prol. v, Dred infant, Venus dearling dove. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 373 His darling Sons. 1736 W. Thompson Epithalamium xiv. 9 Our dearling prince. 1819 Shelley Cyclops 246 My darling little Cyclops. 1849 Dickens Dav. Copp. xxxii, My unchanged love is with my darling child. |
b. of things.
| c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xviii. 3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May. 1645 Fuller Good Th. in Bad T. (1841) 64 To acknowledge my darling faults. 1701 W. Wotton Hist. Rome, Marcus i. 7 Philosophy was his darling Study. 1799 Coleridge Devil's Thoughts vi, The Devil did grin, for his darling sin Is pride that apes humility. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 101 A few enthusiasts..were bent on pursuing..their darling phantom of a republic. |
2. Sweetly pretty or charming, ‘sweet’. affected.
| 1805 E. Cavanagh Let. 4 Oct. in Londonderry & Hyde Russ. Jrnls. (1934) ii. 187 We all follow'd them out of doors across a Garden to a darling place. 1854 Punch Mar. 116 Isn't it the darlingest, sweetest, prettiest, little dear darling darling! Oh! did you ever!! 1858 Queen Victoria Let. 1 Apr. in R. Fulford Dearest Child (1964) 84 Darling Beatrice came..in short clothes with darling little stockings and..pink satin shoes—really too darling. 1906 Punch 21 Mar. 215/1 You have a darling little note-book..to match your frock. 1908 B. Harraden Interplay 373 It is perfectly darling of you to have chosen Hughie. 1937 D. Aldis Time at Heels v. 109 Your little boy did so beautifully... He was simply darling. 1952 M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) i. 14 I've seen them with you in the Co-op, Dr. Mulcahy. They're darling. 1970 New Yorker 28 Feb. 54/2 Isn't it going to be darling! |
Hence (nonce-wds.) ˈdarling v. trans., to address as ‘darling’; ˈdarlingly adv.; ˈdarlingness.
| 1888 Lady V. Sandars Bitter Repent. III. ii. 25 They still darlinged and deared each other as heretofore, especially in the presence of others. 1873 Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 1600 Writing letters daily, duly read As darlingly she hands them to myself. 1875 ― Aristoph. Apol. Wks. XIII. 30 Right they named you..some rich name..Kallistion? Phabion for the darlingness? 1942 T. Rattigan Flare Path ii. i. 123 Wonderful the way you stage people darling each other. 1967 Punch 19 July 82/2 In the interval she seems to be in every bar and every corridor, darlinging everybody in sight. |