Myself a history buff.I love to find out nuances behind naming.As a java developer we have come across servlet(Server side java component),applet(client side java component with gui),portlet(similar to servlet in portal environment).Now in Powershell also they have cmdlet or commandlet.My question is about why these are suffixed with let and what is the generic semantic meaning of this let?
In the English language some words can get the suffix "-let" to express that something is small, e.g. "chainlet" (for a small chain) or "arrowlet" (for a small arrow), see the list of "English words suffixed with -let" on wiktionary.org. So I think the "let" in all the words mentioned by you was added to express that the corresponding component is small or lightweight, e.g. an Applet is a small computer program/component. However, I am not a native speaker of the English language.
On this page you'll find a list of further names for software components suffixed with "-lets" based on Java technology (e.g. Batchlets and Doclets) and also non-Java technology (e.g. Dashlets or Droplets).