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li'l - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Contracted from little, especially as pronounced with flapping, when the /t/ is barely audible.

  • IPA(key): [lɪɫ], [lɪ.ɫ̩]

li'l

  1. Pronunciation spelling of little.

    • 1898, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Folks from Dixie, page 118:

      " Go s'eepy, baby; don' you be 'Paid; mammy ain' gwine let nuffin' hu't you, even ef pappy don' wan' look at huh li'l face. Bye, bye, go s'eepy, mammy's li'l gal."

    • 2006, Cris Burks, Neecey's lullaby:

      Jesse called her his li'l cutie pie. Because she was happy to be so cute and her daddy's little girl,

  2. Generic intensifier.

    This li'l puppy is adorable!