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).
2.
a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense of “somewhat,” “rather” (oldish; reddish; sweetish).
Origin
Middle English;Old English-isc; cognate with German-isch,Gothic-isks,Greek-iskos; akin to -esque
-ish2
1.
a suffix occurring in i -stem verbs borrowed from French:
ravish.
Origin
< French-iss-, extended stem of verbs with infinitives in -ir ≪ Latin-isc-, in inceptive verbs
British Dictionary definitions for -ish
-ish
suffix
1.
of or belonging to a nationality or group: Scottish
2.
(often derogatory) having the manner or qualities of; resembling: slavish, prudish, boyish
3.
somewhat; approximately: yellowish, sevenish
4.
concerned or preoccupied with: bookish
Word Origin
Old English -isc; related to German -isch, Greek -iskos
Word Origin and History for -ish
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.