20kWEB: Origin of the word Abash. Etymology of the word Abash. Etymology Dictionary.

ABASH, to confuse with shame. (F.) M. E. abaschen, abaischen, abaissen, abasen, &c. 'I abasche, or am amased of any thynge;' Palsgrave. 'Thei weren abaischt with greet stoneyinge;' Wyclif, Mk. v. 42. 'He was abasched and agast;' K. Alisaunder, ed. Weber, l. 224.—O.F. esbahir, to astonish (see note below); mod. F. ébahir.—Prefix es- (Lat. ex, out); and bahir, to express astonishment, an onomatopoetic word formed from the interjection bah! of astonishment. Cf. Du. verbazen, to astonish, amaze; Walloon bawi, to regard with open mouth; Grandg. ¶ The final -sh is to be thus accounted for. French verbs in -ir are of two forms, those which (like venir) follow the Latin inflexions, and those which (like fleurir) add -iss to the root. See Brachet's Hist. French Grammar, Kitchin's translation, p. 131. This -iss is imitated from the Lat. -esc- seen in 'inchoative' verbs, such as floresco, and appears in many parts of the French verb, which is thus conjugated to a great degree as if its infinitive were fleurissir instead of fleurir. β. An excellent example is seen in óbeir, to obey, which would similarly have, as it were, a secondary form óbeissir; and, corresponding to these forms, we have in English not only to obey, but the obsolete form obeysche, as in 'the wynd and the sea obeyschen to hym;' Wyclif, Mk. iv. 41. γ. Easier examples appear in E. abolish, banish, cherish, demolish, embellish, establish, finish, flourish, furbish, furnish, garnish, languish, nourish, polish, punish, all from French verbs in -ir. δ. We also have examples like admonish, diminish, replenish, evidently from French sources, in which the termination is due to analogy; these are discussed in their proper places. ε. In the present case we have O.F. esbahir, whence (theoretical) esbahissir, giving M. E. abaischen and abaissen. ¶ It is probable that the word to abash has been to some extent confused with to abase. See Abase.

Etymology Dictionary

Origin of the word ABASH. Etymology of the word ABASH.