Latish

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Arriving or occurring a bit later than expected or desired, though not extremely so
2. Coming after the usual or preferred time, but only moderately rather than drastically
3. Happening fairly recently or toward the end of a period, though not at the very conclusion

Etymology: Latish is a plain formation: the adjective "late" plus the suffix "-ish", meaning "somewhat late" or "rather late." The suffix itself has a long pedigree, descending from a Proto-Indo-European root that also gave Old English the ending "-isc," meaning "belonging to" or "like," a sense it kept as it passed through Middle English "-isch" into the "-ish" we use today. Its earliest role was to turn nouns about peoples into adjectives, as in "English" or "Danish," before it spread to colour words such as "reddish" and to approximate qualities like "tallish." Because "-ish" is so productive, it can be attached to nearly any adjective, which is why "latish" sounds natural even though it is a fairly recent-feeling coinage. The base word "late" has been in English for centuries, and the combination simply applies the suffix's sense of "somewhat" to the idea of timing. Its meaning therefore sits halfway between "late" and "not quite late," useful for vague descriptions such as "a latish dinner."

Synonyms: somewhat late, fairly late, rather late

Antonyms: early, timely