Where does “bookish” come from?
Bookish derives from Middle English -isch and Old English -isċ suffixes attached to book, which comes from Proto-Germanic būkaz, itself from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning beech tree or writing material.
bookish (English): Fond of reading or studying, especially said of...
Definitions
- Fond of reading or studying, especially said of...
Ancestry of “bookish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Book | the Bible |
| 2 | German | būch | book collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge; long work fit for publication |
| 3 | Middle High German | buoch | — |
| 4 | Old High German | buoh | book |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bōk | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bakaną | to bake |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₃g- | to bake, to roast, to fry |