achtige

achtige is a Dutch adjectival suffix meaning "like" or "resembling," used to form adjectives that denote likeness, similarity, or a characteristic associated with the base element. It is productive in both formal and colloquial Dutch and corresponds to the English suffixes -ish or -like.

Formation and usage: The suffix attaches to a noun stem or to another adjective to create compound descriptors. Examples include waterachtig (water-like), spookachtig (spooky), mensachtig (humanoid or human-like), and vogelachtig (bird-like). The resulting adjective describes appearance, feel, or atmosphere and often implies a figurative or approximate resemblance rather than exact identity.

Inflection and syntax: Like other Dutch adjectives, -achtig adjectives inflect for number and definiteness according to the noun they modify. For example: een mensachtig wezen, het mensachtige wezen, de mensachtige wezens, spookachtige gezichten. In attributive position before a noun the usual adjective endings apply; in predicative position after verbs like zijn you can say "het gezicht is spookachtig."

Origin and nuance: The suffix -achtig is of Germanic origin and has been productive in Dutch since medieval times. It is used across registers to describe similarities, stylistic traits, or atmospheric qualities, and can carry humorous or emphatic nuance in informal use.