The word "honeykins" uses two suffixes to make it more endearing: "-kin" and "-s". **[-kin][1]** is an English suffix that was used in the olden days to form diminutive forms of nouns. There are still [several dozen words in the language][2] that were formed using this suffix. The more known are *pumpkin, catkin, napkin,* the less known are *ladykin, pannikin*. It has a curious etymology, let me quote from Wiktionary: [![enter image description here][3]][3] See - it's Germanic in origin: compare with German "[Mädchen][4]", "a girl". It is composed of the root "Magd"/"Maid", "female servant", and the diminutive suffix "-chen". Another interesting bit, from "A History of British Surnames" by Richard McKinley, [page 100][5]: [![enter image description here][6]][6] It turns out Richard Daw**kin**s has this suffix too! Live and learn. The linguistic term for a diminutive, endearing calling name is **[hypocorism][7]** (Wikipedia): > A hypocorism (/haɪˈpɒkərɪzəm/; from Greek ὑποκορίζεσθαι hypokorizesthai, "to use child-talk"), also known as a pet name or calling name, is a shorter or diminutive form of a word or given name, for example, when used in more intimate situations as a nickname or term of endearment. However, shortening of names is certainly not exclusive to terms of affection; indeed, in many cases, a shortened name can also be used to intimidate or humiliate. The ambiguity would need to be clarified by context. --------------- According to Wiktionary, [the suffix **-s** has 5 meanings][8], and one of them is hypocoristic: > Diminutive suffix: *Babs; moms; [pops][9]; homes; Toots* It is considered to be a shortened form of the hypocoristic diminutive suffix *-sy*. In the "Cambridge Grammar of the English Language" by Huddleston and Pullum, both "-kin" and "-s" are mentioned briefly in Unit 5.2.1 "Evaluative morphology: Diminutives": > The suffix **-s** also occurs after diminutive *-ie* in such playground words as *onesies, twosies, widesies*: it is doubtful whether it is here marking plural number. In addition it is found in various terms of address, such as *ducks* or *Pops*. [1]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-kin [2]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-kin [3]: https://i.sstatic.net/lK6mA.png [4]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/M%C3%A4dchen [5]: https://books.google.ru/books?id=gcOOAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA100&ots=hA8ddm6c7S&dq=hypochoristic%20%22kin%22&hl=ru&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false [6]: https://i.sstatic.net/jPrRS.png [7]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocorism [8]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-s#Etymology_5 [9]: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/17/magazine/on-language-pop-me-no-pops-pop.html