'bantling' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'banteling', where 'bant' meant 'a child' and the suffix '-ling' was a diminutive.

'bantling' changed from the Middle English word 'banteling' (formed from 'bant' + the diminutive suffix '-ling') and continued in dialectal use into Modern English as 'bantling'.

Initially it meant 'a little child or infant', and over time it has retained that basic meaning but become archaic and now appears mainly in historical or dialectal contexts.