Booksellerish

/ˌbʊkˈsɛlərɪʃ/ adjective

Definition

Having the characteristics, manner, or qualities typical of a bookseller or the book-selling profession; resembling bookseller behavior or style.

Etymology

From 'bookseller' (book + seller, Old English 'sellan', to give or hand over) + '-ish' (Old English '-isc', a suffix meaning resembling or characteristic of). This adjective emerged in the 19th century to describe the distinctive culture of booksellers.

Kelly Says

Victorian writers used 'booksellerish' to describe a certain pretentious style—overly enthusiastic recommendations, excessive cataloging knowledge, a quality still recognizable in modern book nerds.

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