-ish
a suffix used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of “belonging to” (british; danish; english; spanish); “after the manner of,” “having the characteristics of,” “like” (babyish; girlish; mulish); “addicted to,” “inclined or tending to” (bookish; freakish); “near or about” (fiftyish; sevenish).
a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of “somewhat,” “rather” (oldish; reddish; sweetish).
-ish2
a suffix occurring in i -stem verbs borrowed from french:
ravish.
origin
-ish
suffix
of or belonging to a nationality or group scottish
(often derogatory) having the manner or qualities of; resembling slavish, prudish, boyish
somewhat; approximately yellowish, sevenish
concerned or preoccupied with bookish
word origin
-ish
adj. suffix, from o.e. -isc, common gmc. (cf. o.n. -iskr, ger. -isch, goth. -isks), cognate with gk. dim. suffix -iskos. colloquially attached to hours to denote approximation, 1916.
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