Relating to, characteristic of, or resembling a clerk or clerical work; scholarly or pedantic in manner.
From 'clerk' plus the suffix '-ish' (meaning somewhat like, or having qualities of, as in boyish, foolish, or British).
The word 'clerkish' often carried negative connotations—suggesting someone was overly focused on rules, details, and written procedures rather than practical common sense, reflecting a centuries-old tension between theory and practical knowledge.
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