|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Does anyone know from whence the hyphenated suffix, -ish, derives? It seems to me always to mean "approximately" or "about" - but it suddenly occurred to me to wonder how we came to tack it onto the end of words we wished to render vague?
Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477 |
Hi MG My guess is that it is the suffix -ish (as in selfish) used in a more colloquial way. Here's what the Australian Macquarie dictionary has to say: ish
1. a suffix used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of: a. `belonging to' (a people, country, etc.), as in British, Danish, English, Spanish. b. `after the manner of', `having the characteristics of', `like', as in babyish, girlish, mulish (such words being now often depreciatory). c. `addicted to', `inclined or tending to', as in bookish, freakish. 2. a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of `somewhat', `rather', as in oldish, reddish, sweetish. [Middle English, from Old English -isc]
How's that? Answer your question? I love the -ish additive - use it all the time. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Than there's "Ishmael" with his prefixish "ish."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
I love the -ish additive - use it all the timeAs do I, hev. And also my favourite Doctor: He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy..
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear WW: you may relish "ish", but ishing mael is going too far.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,331
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
854
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
