manling

Noun

manling (plural manlings)

1. A little man; a man of short stature.
   • Again, a man so gracious and in high favour with the Emperor, as Augustus often called him his witty manling (for the littleness of his stature), and, if we may trust antiquity, had designed him for a secretary of estate, and invited him to the palace, which he modestly prayed off and refused.1641, Ben Jonson, Timber, or Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter

   Synonyms:

   mankin

2. (literary) A young man; a boy.
   • 'Hah!' said Kaa with a chuckle, 'he has friends everywhere, this manling. Stand back, manling; and hide you, O Poison-People. I break down the wall.'1894 May, Rudyard Kipling, “Kaa’s Hunting”, in The Jungle Book, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published June 1894, →OCLC, page 59
   • "Before I do your bidding, manling," Mapes said, "I must cleanse the way between us. […]1965 October 1, Frank Herbert, “(please specify the page)”, in Dune, Philadelphia, Pa.: Chilton Book Company; [Toronto], Ont.: Thomas Nelson & Sons, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   bhoy, boy, boykin, boyo, callant, chav, feely-omi, guy, knave, lad