ish kabbible | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

142 entries found.

c. 1200, "resembling a sheep" in some perceived characteristic, from sheep + -ish. The sense of "bashful, over-modest, awkward among strangers" first is recorded 1690s. Related: Sheepishly; sheepishness. Old English had sceaplic "of a sheep, 'sheep-ly.'"

foolish (adj.)

early 14c., from fool (n.1) + -ish. Older adjectives in Middle English were fool (c. 1200); folly (c. 1300). Old English words for this were dysig, stunt, dol. Related: Foolishly; foolishness.

childish (adj.)

Old English cildisc "proper to a child;" see child + -ish. Meaning "puerile, immature, like a child" in a bad sense is from early 15c. Similar formation in Old Saxon kindisc, Middle Dutch kintsch, Dutch kindsch, German kindisch. Related: Childishly; childishness.

Jewish (adj.)

1540s, from Jew + -ish. Old English had Iudeisc; early Middle English used Judewish, Judeish (late 12c.). Similar formation in Dutch joodsch, Old High German judeisk, German jüdisch, Danish jödisk. Figurative use in reference to extortionate money-lending attested by c. 1600.

Cornish (adj.)

"of or pertaining to Cornwall," the county in the far southwest of England, late 14c. (as a surname), from first element of Cornwall (q.v.) + -ish. Earlier was Cornwalsche, Cornwalish (c. 1200). As a noun, the name of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, extinct as a spoken language since late 18c., from 1540s. Related: Cornishman.

lickerish (adj.)

"fond of delicious fare," c. 1500, a corruption (as if from licker or liquor + -ish) of Middle English likerous "pleasing to the palate" (late 13c.), from Anglo-French *likerous, Old French licherous (see lecherous). Unlike the French word, it generally kept close to its literal sense. Related: Lickerishly; lickerishness.

Frankish (adj.)

"pertaining to the ancient Franks," 1802, from Frank + -ish. As the name of the West Germanic language spoken by the ancient Franks, from 1863. (Frenkis is recorded c. 1400.). The language was absorbed into French, which it influenced, especially in the northern regions from which the Normans conquered England in 1066.

betwixt (prep., adv.)

Old English betweox "between, in the space that separates, among, amidst, meanwhile," from bi- "by" (see by) + tweox "for two," from Proto-Germanic *twa "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") + *-isk "-ish." With unetymological -t that first appeared in Old English and became general after c. 1500. Compare amidst. Betwixen also was a variant in Old and Middle English.

famish (v.)

"cause to hunger," c. 1400, famyschen, "alteration of famen (late 14c.), a shortening of Old French afamer (12c., Modern French affamer), from Vulgar Latin *affamare "to bring to hunger," from ad famem, from Latin fames "hunger" (see famine).

Ending changed mid-14c. to -ish under influence of ravish, anguish, etc. It also once had an intransitive sense and was so used by Shakespeare and Milton. Related: Famished; famishing.

pettish (adj.)

1550s, "impetuous," evidently from pet (n.2) in its "proceeding from or pertaining to ill humor" sense, + -ish. Meaning "peevish, easily annoyed" is from 1590s.

It has naturally been assoc. with PET sb.1, as being a characteristic habit of a "pet" or indulged and spoiled child; but the connexion of sense is not very clear or simple .... [OED]

Related: Pettishly; pettishness.

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