­LE


Meaning of ­LE in English

suffix (also -el) forming nouns with (or orig. with) diminutive sense, or = -AL (angle; castle; mantle; syllable; novel; tunnel).

[ ME -el, -elle f. OF ult. f. L forms -ellus, -ella, etc. ]

Concise Oxford English dictionary.      Краткий оксфордский словарь английского языка.