Where does “tokenish” come from?
tokenish (English) comes from English ish, from English -ish, from Middle English -ish, from Old English -isċ, from Proto-West Germanic -isk, from Proto-Germanic -iskaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iskos — Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to.
tokenish (English): Resembling a token; symbolic; insignificant; nominal
Definitions
- Resembling a token; symbolic; insignificant; nominal
Ancestry of “tokenish”, step by step
tokenish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |
via English token
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | token | Something serving as an expression of something... |
| 2 | Middle English | token | token; omen, portent; prearranged signal |
| 3 | Old English | tācn | sign, token; token, sign; sign, marker |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | taikn | sign, token, symbol |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taikną | sign, token, symbol |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deyḱ- | to point out |