-ship

From Middle English -schipe, -shippe, from Old English -sċiepe, from Proto-West Germanic *-skapi, from Proto-Germanic *-skapiz.

Compare Scots -schip, West Frisian -skip, Dutch -schap, German -schaft, Swedish -skap, Icelandic -skapur. Related to shape.

• Audio (US):

  (file)

-ship

1. Appended to a noun to form a new noun denoting a property or state of being, time spent in a role, or a specialised union. In particular, the way a set of social duties associated with a particular role shapes or develop's one's character.

   fellow → fellowship

   owner → ownership

• (property or state of being): -ness, -hood, -itude, -th, -ity, -dom

• HIPs, hiPS, hips, phis, pish

-ship

1. alternative form of -schipe