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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Linguistics Studies
Suffixes that add meaning-ish and -like
Hi...
I've been thinking through this problem and would appreciate some input...
both suffixes -ish and -like turn a noun into an adjective, but there is a difference seen in the meanings each of them give to words. If one compares childish and childlike, it is obvious that childish has a more negative meaning to it (immature, silly) while childlike confers qualities like innocence. BUT if we consider "sheepish" and "sheeplike" i'm not sure whether the same meaning of "ish" and "like" are preserved.
Could anyone comment on the differences in meaning between "ish" and "like"??
thanks!!!!
I've been thinking through this problem and would appreciate some input...
both suffixes -ish and -like turn a noun into an adjective, but there is a difference seen in the meanings each of them give to words. If one compares childish and childlike, it is obvious that childish has a more negative meaning to it (immature, silly) while childlike confers qualities like innocence. BUT if we consider "sheepish" and "sheeplike" i'm not sure whether the same meaning of "ish" and "like" are preserved.
Could anyone comment on the differences in meaning between "ish" and "like"??
thanks!!!!
Top answer
Hello As you said -ish and -like are both used as a suffix to form an adjective from a noun. And you are quite right that -ish gives a negative sense to the adjective. , boorish, foolish, swinish).
- Hello As you said -ish and -like are both used as a suffix to form an adjective from a noun.
- And you are quite right that -ish gives a negative sense to the adjective.
- , boorish, foolish, swinish).
- But some words in the form "X-ish" are neutral in the sense depending on the context.
- For example, "womanish" means simply "belonging to women" in the noun phrase of "a womanish university".
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4 Answers
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Hello
As you said -ish and -like are both used as a suffix to form an adjective from a noun. And you are quite right that -ish gives a negative sense to the adjective. OED says "X-ish" is usually an adjective to mean "having the [bad or objectionable] qualities of X" (e.g., boorish, foolish, swinish). But some words in the form "X-ish" are neutral in the sense depending on the context. Fo
As you said -ish and -like are both used as a suffix to form an adjective from a noun. And you are quite right that -ish gives a negative sense to the adjective. OED says "X-ish" is usually an adjective to mean "having the [bad or objectionable] qualities of X" (e.g., boorish, foolish, swinish). But some words in the form "X-ish" are neutral in the sense depending on the context. Fo
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STILL WHAT DOES ISH MEAN I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT AND YOU ARENT GIVIN ME ANY TYPE OF MEAN FOR THIS WORD AND I NEED IT BY FRIDAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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1) You are adding to a thread that is years old.
2) You are shouting at us.
3) You haven't said please or "could you" or made any attempt whatsoever to be polite in your "request" for help
That makes it rather rude-ish of you, wouldn't you say?
2) You are shouting at us.
3) You haven't said please or "could you" or made any attempt whatsoever to be polite in your "request" for help
That makes it rather rude-ish of you, wouldn't you say?
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