-kin

   Suffixes added to names or words to form a dirninutive. There is an etymological relationship with the -chen in German words such as Liebchen, ‘sweetheart’. In The Word Child, by Iris Murdoch, a girl whose name is Thomasina is addressed affectionately as ‘Tomkins’. Nina Bawden, in George Beneath a Paper Moon, has a man say: ‘Don’t be daft, Sally-kins.’ ‘Sally darling’ says the girl concerned. The man then calls her ‘Sally darling’ and ‘darling Sally’, but adds: ‘Nice women don’t ask for endearments.’ Martin Arrowsmith, by Sinclair Lewis, has a woman address a man as ‘Martykins’ and ‘Mart’, his first name being Martin. In Howard’s End, by E.M.Forster, a girl extends her brother’s pet name, which is usually Tibby, to ‘Tibbikins’. The Half Hunter, by John Sherwood, has a wife calling her husband ‘Teddykins’. As can be seen, ‘-kins’ appears to be the usual form of the suffix, though Opening Night, by Ngaio Marsh, has a man whose last name is Fox addressed as ‘Foxkin’ by a male colleague. In most cases the diminutive form with ‘-kins’ or ‘-kin’ represents ad hoc usage, expressing the intimate attitude of the speaker at the moment of utterance. It frequently forms a double diminutive, as the examples above demonstrate, and indeed that appears to be one of its main functions. The suffix can be attached to other terms, not just personal names. See also for example Babykins, Popkins, Lambkin, Motherkins.