-ISH


Meaning of -ISH in English

_ish, _ēsh adjective suffix

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -isc; akin to Old High German -isc, -isk -ish, Old Norse -skr, Gothic -isks -ish, Greek -iskos, diminutive noun suffix

1. : of or belonging to — chiefly in adjectives indicating nationality or ethnic group

Finn ish

Gaul ish

Turk ish

2.

a. : characteristic or typical of

boy ish

London ish

: having the undersirable qualities of

amateur ish

mul ish

b. : inclined or liable to

book ish

qualm ish

mop ish

c.

(1) : having a touch or trace of

summer ish

: somewhat

purpl ish

lat ish

(2) : having the approximate age of

forty ish

(3) : being or occurring at the approximate time of — especially in words formed from numerals indicating an hour of the day or night

five ish

eight ish

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.