[Lexicog] Pejorative suffixes

[David Tuggy]

Peter Kirk wrote:

> On 26/03/2005 16:10, David Tuggy wrote:
>
> >**Comments from David Tuggy below**
> >
> >
>
> Thank you, David. Just one further comment:
>
> >
> >
> >... I find it interesting
> >that the nationality/language sense, though extensively exemplified, is
> >not productive, in comparison with the -ese or especially the -an
> >suffixes with those meanings. The only -ish formation of this type that
> >I know of being coined in my lifetime is "Yerkish", the language taught
> >to chimpanzees at Yerkes, which was likely calqued on "Turkish".**
> >
> >
> >
> Well, there is "Biblish", which has been extensively used on another
> list which you and I are on. But this is perhaps not so much Bible+-ish
> as a compound of Bible and English. But I would agree that -ish for
> languages and peoples is no longer productive, having had its day
> probably in the 19th century when it was used more widely than today.
> "Canaanitish" and "Israelitish" were both used in the 19th century, but
> then both are in the King James Bible.
>
> But what about Elvish, Dunlendish, Orkish, and (as languages) Mannish
> and Dwarfish? These are 20th century coinages, all in The Lord of the
> Rings (most in Appendix F), although maybe before your lifetime!

Yes, I should have thought of those. (Shows again how dangerous it is to
say "There are no X.") Tolkien, of course, is being consciously archaic
in much of his morphology (which he invented before my lifetime, but
published during it.) It does give a wonderful flavor to his world(s).

>
>
> --
> Peter Kirk
> peter at qaya.org (personal)
> peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
> http://www.qaya.org/
>
>
>
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