Inkling Definition

ĭngklĭng
inklings
noun
inklings
An indirect suggestion; slight indication; hint.
Webster's New World
A vague idea or notion; suspicion.
Webster's New World

A slight suspicion or hint.

Wiktionary

(dialect) Inclination, desire.

Wiktionary
verb

Present participle of inkle.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Inkling

Noun

Singular:
inkling
Plural:
inklings

Origin of Inkling

  • From Middle English, from inklen, inclen (“to give an inkling of, hint at, mention, utter in an undertone”), from inke (“apprehension, misgiving”), from Old English inca (“doubt, suspicion”), from Proto-Germanic *inkô (“ache, regret”), from Proto-Indo-European *yenǵ- (“illness”). Cognate with Old Frisian jinc (“angered”), Old Norse ekki (“pain, grief”), Norwegian ekkje (“lack, pity”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Probably alteration of Middle English (a) ningkiling (a) hint, suggestion possibly alteration of nikking from nikken to mark a text for correction from nik notch, tally perhaps from variant of Old French niche niche niche

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Inkling Is Also Mentioned In

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