▪ I. ish, n. Sc.
(ɪʃ)
Forms: 4 ysche, 5–6 ische, 7– ish.
[f. ish v.1]
1. Issue, egress, exit; right of exit; † place of egress. Now only in Sc. Law, in phr. ish and entry (see quot. 1861).
| 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 363 The strat entre Of the furde, and the ysche alsua. 14.. Burgh Lawis (Rec. Soc.) No. 52 The tane sall geyff to the aldyrman a penny for the ische and the tothir sall geyff a penny for the entre. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. xiv. 51 Quhair as the chill river hait Vfens Seikis..Amyd how valeis his renk and ische. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk, Souldiours placed to stop all ish and entrie. 1861 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 476/1 The clause, cum libero exitu et introitu (‘with free ish and entry’), in the tenendas of a charter, imports a right to all ways and passages, in so far as they may be necessary, to kirk and market, through the adjacent grounds of the granter. |
2. The conclusion of a period of time; the expiry of a legal term, a lease, etc. Now only in Sc. Law.
| 1502 in Pitcairn Anc. Crim. Trials I. *30 For þe space of fourty days; at the ische of þe quhilk terme ande ende of xl dais [etc.]. 1533 Bellenden Livy ii. (1822) 159 At the ische of this yere, Marcus Minucius and Aulus Sempronius war maid consullis. c 1575 Balfour's Practicks (1754) 209 Gif ane man, efter the ische of his takkis..ressavis foir-maill for the samin landis. 1754 Erskine Princ. Sc. Law (1809) 196 Seldom reduced into writing, when they are not to have effect before the ish. 1886 Act 49 & 50 Vict. c. 50 §5 Notice of removal..shall..be given as many days before the date of ish as shall be equivalent to at least one third of the full period of duration of the lease. |
▪ II. ish, n.2 colloq.
Brit. /ɪʃ/, U.S. /ɪʃ/
[Shortened <issue n.]
An issue or edition in a series; spec. an issue of a magazine, esp. (in early use) a fanzine.
| 1942 Planet Stories Spring 123/1 What strange part of your mind (?) made you reprint Morey's pic from the third ish. 1955 Amazing Stories June 75 Over the years, they [sc. fanzines] have developed a special argot: ‘ish’ for ‘issue’; ‘illo’ for ‘illustration’; ‘faned’ (rhymes with ‘Slan head’) for ‘fan editor’, to give a few examples. 1961 Amra July 2 This is..the early July 1961 ish of Amra, a magazine published as often as we can make it. 1977 Sniffin' Glue Mar. 9/1 We was going to have an article on them in this ish but were waiting till we've got more space for an interview. 1984 Sounds 29 Dec. 5/1 The coupla extra tracks tacked on this ish of ‘Now That's What I Call..Blaaaaagh’. 2003 LA Weekly (Nexis) 21 Mar. 6 Caught the pic of Gyorgy Ligeti in the last ish and thought to read up on the gent. |
▪ III. † ish, iss, v.1 Obs.
Forms: α. 4 ice, 4–5 isse. β. Sc. 4–5 ysche, 4–6 isch(e, 5 issh, yssh, yss(e, (ussh), 6 ish(e.
[ME. a. OF. issir, (yssir, ussir), (cf. issant), earlier eissir = It. escire, uscire:—L. exīre to go out, f. ex out + īre to go.]
1. intr. = issue v. 1–3.
| α [1292 Britton iii. xvii. §3 Qe de soen gre..s'en issi et se demist. transl. That of his own accord he..went out and dispossessed himself.] c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 3466 Þey armede hem, and isseden out. c 1350 Will. Palerne 3789 William & his wiȝes..softly Iced out of þe cite whan þei seie time. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 14407 Wynd and wordys rud and dul Yssen out fful gret plente. |
| β 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 278 Ȝe sall Isch furth to the bataill, And fecht with thaim. c 1400 Destr. Troy 5784 Arowes vp in the aire ysshit full þicke. c 1420 Avow. Arth. lxiv, On a day we vsshet oute. 1558 Sc. Acts Mary (1814) II. 508 Gife It sal happin..oure sade souerane departe of þis mortale life w{supt}out airis Ischeit of hir body. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) II. 11 Certaine of the castell men wschit [ed. 1728 ishing] out and skirmischit thame. |
| fig. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. xii. 82 (Camb. MS.) Þat hast so wouen me with thy resouns..thow þat ooþer while entrist ther þou issest and oother while issest ther thow entrist. |
2. trans. To go out of, depart from. rare.
| c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 5031 With joye isshed thow the Citee of his swete birth Bethelem. |
3. trans. To clear (a place) by driving out those within.
| 1537 Sc. Acts. Jas. V, c. 50 That an Maisser ische the Councel-house, and himselfe sall stande at the dure, and let na man enter. |
Hence † ishing vbl. n. = issuing vbl. n.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xv. 158 Till warn hym of thair ysching. c 1422 Hoccleve Learn to Die 629 Of his spirit shal be the issynge, In-to eternal blisse the entrynge. 1549 Compl. Scot. xi. 98 The..place had ane narrou entres & narrou isching. |
▪ IV. ish, v.2 nonce-wd.
[Echoic.]
intr. To make the sound ish! or sh! as in striking the air forcibly.
| 1898 Sir G. Robertson Chitral xxi. 201 Bullets went ‘ishing’ just over it with curious monotony. |
▪ V. ish, adv. colloq.
Brit. /ɪʃ/, U.S. /ɪʃ/
[‹ -ish suffix1.]
Qualifying a previous statement or description, esp. as a conversational rejoinder: almost, in a way, partially, vaguely.
| 1986 Sunday Times 19 Oct. (Review section) 51/8 One of those neatly crafted middle-brow plays which, because they have a pleasantly happy ending (well, ish), might make people think that they've been handed a soft option. 1990 P. Pulsford Lee's Ghost (BNC) 41 You must try to remember that some people are normal. Ish. 1991 J. O'Connor Cowboys & Indians (1992) 122 Frank asked if they were linked, romantically... Then he said yeah, he supposed they were, that was one way to put it, in a way. He paused. ‘Ish,’ he admitted. ‘Vaguely.’ 1995 C. Bateman Cycle of Violence vi. 94 ‘Trust Davie Morrow.’ ‘You know him?’ ‘Ish. He's a regular across the road.’ 2002 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 5 Sept. d8/5 Mr. Langmead, speaking by telephone from London, hesitated. ‘Ish,’ he said, employing the international shorthand for slight hedge. |