A small or inferior dish, or something dish-like that is diminished in size or quality.
From 'dish' plus the diminutive suffix '-ling' (from Old English '-ling', used to form nouns meaning 'small or inferior version'). This medieval formation created a term for small or unworthy dishes.
The suffix '-ling' appears in 'duckling' and 'darling' but took on a subtly negative edge in Victorian kitchens—a 'dishling' wasn't just small, it was a bit pathetic.
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