Notes & Queries Archive
MISCELLANIES1850

A Phonetic Peculiarity

By J. M. B.

I venture to note as a very curious phonetic peculiarity, that we have in the English language a large number of monosyllabic words ending is *sh*, all of which are expressive of some violet action or emotion. I quote a few which have occurred without search, in alphabetical order. "Brush, brash, crash, crush, dash, gash, gush, hash, gnash, lash, mash, pash, push, quash, rush, slash, smash, squash, thrash."

Topics: Phonetics, English Language