- 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).
- a suffix occurring in i-stem verbs borrowed from French: ravish.
suffix forming adjectives
- of or belonging to a nationality or groupScottish
- often derogatory having the manner or qualities of; resemblingslavish; prudish; boyish
- somewhat; approximatelyyellowish; sevenish
- concerned or preoccupied withbookish
adjectival suffix, from Old English -isc, common Germanic (cf. Old Norse -iskr, German -isch, Gothic -isks), cognate with Greek diminutive suffix -iskos. Colloquially attached to hours to denote approximation, 1916.