hanky

The word 'hanky' is a colloquial and affectionate diminutive formed in the 19th century by clipping the word 'handkerchief'. 'Handkerchief' itself has a more complex history, originating from the combination of 'hand' and 'kerchief', an old word for a cloth used to cover the head. The formation of 'hanky' follows a common English pattern of creating informal, shorter forms, often ending in the '-y' or '-ie' suffix to convey familiarity or small size. This process of abbreviation and suffixation transformed the functional 'handkerchief' into the more personal and endearing 'hanky'.

The word is a diminutive/clipping derived from the full word "handkerchief".