sottish adj.

late Old English sott "stupid person, fool," a sense now obsolete, from Old French sot, from Gallo-Roman *sott- (probably related to Medieval Latin sottus), a word of uncertain origin, with cognates from Portugal to Germany. The surviving English meaning "one who is stupefied with drink, one who commonly drinks to excess" is attested by 1590s. As a verb, it is attested from c. 1200, but this is usually besot.

adjectival word-forming element, Old English -isc "of the nativity or country of," in later use "of the nature or character of," from Proto-Germanic suffix *-iska- (cognates: Old Saxon -isk, Old Frisian -sk, Old Norse -iskr, Swedish and Danish -sk, Dutch -sch, Old High German -isc, German -isch, Gothic -isks), cognate with Greek diminutive suffix -iskos. In its oldest forms with altered stem vowel (French, Welsh). The Germanic suffix was borrowed into Italian and Spanish (-esco) and French (-esque). Colloquially attached to hours to denote approximation, 1916.

The -ish in verbs (abolish, establish, finish, punish, etc.) is a mere terminal relic from the Old French present participle.