ish- root words — words with the ish- root

The root ish- comes from French iss, meaning verb-forming (from Old French -iss- inchoative stem). 12 words in Dendril are built from it, including polish, furnish, tarnish, furbish, abolishable, accomplishable, blandish, distinguishably, micropublisher, micropublishing, photofinisher, planish. Dendril shows them on a free interactive word map — no signup, no ads.

Words that use the ish- root

Explore words with ish- — words containing the ish- root and sharing its sense of "verb-forming (from Old French -iss- inchoative stem)". Examples include polish, furnish, tarnish, furbish, abolishable, accomplishable, blandish, distinguishably, micropublisher, micropublishing, photofinisher, planish. Click any word to see its own roots, definition, and related words.

What does ish- mean?

The ish- root means verb-forming (from Old French -iss- inchoative stem), from French iss. Recognizing it helps you decode and remember the many English words built on this root.