DictionaryRoot: -ette
French
-ette
small; a smaller or related version
Forms
- -ette
Origin
Old French -ete, the feminine counterpart of diminutive -et; the suffix’s deeper origin is uncertain.
Note
Smallness can shade into affection, imitation, or dismissal depending on context.
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noun
coquette
koh-KET/kəʊˈket/
A woman who playfully seeks romantic attention.
Etymology
The rooster plus diminutive gives the image of a “little cock.” Its strut or lust supplied the figurative comparison for a flirt, with coquette becoming the feminine form.