sapling (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict[sapling 词源字典]
early 14c., from sap (n.1) + diminutive suffix -ling. This probably is the source of American English slang sap (n.3) "club, short staff" (1899) and the verb sap (v.2) "to hit (someone) with a sap" (1926).[sapling etymology, sapling origin, 英语词源]