Cryptic

[Glen1944]

Diminutive sun. 8 letters. Name of an animal

[shoota]

Welcome to AB Glen, have a read:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puzzles/article/etiquette-for-asking-a-quiz-puzzle-or-crossword-question/

[iminoz]

Starling?

[factor-fiction]

I haven't heard of this meaning (diminutive sun) for starling but I've seen it answered twice today- does anyone have a link please?

[factor-fiction]

Hi Glen- I see you've posted this three times. You can add extra info simply by replying to your own question

[FrogNog]

Starling works for me FF.
Star - sun
ling like duckling

[Tilly2]

Factor......star....ling.

[factor-fiction]

Sorry- I don't get it. What crossword would have a clue like this?

[FrogNog]

A cryptic one.

[Mamyalynne]

More likely a quiz.

[factor-fiction]

A crossword clue normally has a clue then a letter count in brackets. This seems to be a clue then a letter count and then another bit of the clue.
C'mon Tilly- give us a witty comment about my denseness as I can't see it

[scorpiojo]

A baby star...starling

[FrogNog]

Factor it's clue, number of letters, theme.
Probably a quiz but I can see it.

[factor-fiction]

Thanks - yes I know a sun is a star but I couldn't find that definition (small star) for starling.
But maybe this wasn't a crossword after all.

[BlackadderV]

It's a play on words, whereby you add -ling to suggest a diminutive, much as you might do by adding -ette.

[Mamyalynne]

1-ling noun suffix
: one connected with or having the quality of

: young, small, or minor one

[factor-fiction]

Is a small ling a lingling I wonder (Isn't that the intro to "I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall"?)

[Mamyalynne]

Works for a Cod

codling1
ˈkɒdlɪŋ/Submit
noun
an immature cod.

[shoota]

And a firk...

[Mamyalynne]

Spiderling may refer to:

an immature spider

[BlackadderV]

It's a made-up word based on the three diminutive endings, ling, et or ette. We say gosling and piglet, but there is no reason why we could not say goslet or pigling, apart from the fact that these word are not recognised.