-et

Forming nouns, originally diminutives.

Old French ‑et, ‑ete.

An example is target, etymologically speaking a small targe or shield. Others of similar kind are banquet (French banc, bench), crotchet (French croc, hook), hatchet (French hache, axe), pocket (French poke, pouch), and turret (French tour, tower). More recent formations such as facet have come from French words in ‑ette, an ending many retain (cigarette, sometimes spelled cigaret in US English). A few words have been created in English on native roots: cabinet derives from cabin and midget from midge. The suffix is no longer productive of new words, though nymphet, an attractive and sexually mature young woman, was created by Vladimir Nabokov in his novel Lolita in 1955. See also ‑let.