The Right Form: Hyphen Usage Before Adjective Suffix 'ish'

The term ldquo;ishrdquo; with or without a preceding hyphen does not exist as a standalone word. Instead, the suffix ldquo;ishrdquo; is commonly used to form adjectives from nouns, indicating that something possesses qualities similar to the noun it modifies. This is a familiar pattern in the English language, such as ldquo;foolishrdquo; - behaving in a manner reminiscent of a fool. Over the years, many such adjectives have gained acceptance in dictionaries without the need for a hyphen.

Historical Context and Usage

The practice of attaching the suffix ldquo;ishrdquo; to nouns to create adjectives is an ancient one. For instance, ldquo;cartoonishrdquo; accurately describes something that bears a resemblance to a cartoon. Despite ldquo;cartoonishrdquo; being an innovative adjective, it has been widely accepted without a hyphen, as evidenced by its inclusion in many dictionaries.

According to dictionaries, adjectives formed in this manner, such as ldquo;foolish,rdquo;do not require a hyphen. Sarah, a point of reference for such usage, confirmed that the correct form is without a hyphen: cartoonish.

Evolving Language and Adjective Creation

Language is dynamic, and individuals often attempt to innovate new adjectives by appending ldquo;ishrdquo; to various nouns. These new creations often include a hyphen as a sign that the resulting term might not immediately find a place in traditional lexicons. For example, one might try to form ldquo;comic-stripishrdquo; to describe something that closely resembles a comic strip. However, the hyphen usage is not strictly a requirement and can vary based on the context and acceptance.

Rule of Thumb

My general rule of thumb is to follow the conventions of established adjectives. If a term with the suffix ldquo;ishrdquo; is already in the dictionary and does not bear a hyphen, it is best to follow suit. Conversely, for innovations in the language, it is prudent to include a hyphen to denote that the term is a relatively recent creation that is not yet fully integrated into the language.

For clarity, a hyphen is only necessary to avoid confusion between words that look similar but have different meanings, such as ldquo;resignrdquo; and ldquo;re-sign.rdquo;In such cases, the hyphen can help prevent misunderstanding.

Conclusion

The usage of the hyphen with the suffix ldquo;ishrdquo; depends on the established conventions in the lexicon. Whether or not to include a hyphen can guide new terms into becoming accepted members of the language, thus enriching our vocabulary over time.