itchy
UK[ˈɪtʃi]US[ˈɪtʃi]
adj
having or causing an unpleasant feeling on the skin that makes you want to scratch it
adj
(informal) feeling a strong or restless desire to do something
Morpheme Breakdown
itch
y
itch
y
characterized by
Etymology
the word "itchy" is a straightforward formation from the old english root for the sensation of itching, combined with the productive adjectival suffix "-y." the old english verb gīccean is of germanic origin, related to dutch jeuken and german jucken. the core concept of an irritating skin sensation has remained remarkably stable across these languages. the suffix "-y," also of germanic heritage, is widely used in english to create descriptive adjectives, such as in "sunny" or "salty," indicating the possession of a certain quality. thus, "itchy" literally means "characterized by itch," a direct semantic link that has persisted into its modern figurative use describing a restless desire.
Analysis
Structure: itch + y
- itch: from old english gīccean (to itch), of germanic origin. serves as the base noun/verb root meaning the sensation that provokes scratching.
- y: from old english -ig, a suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning "characterized by" or "full of".
Examples
the wool sweater made my skin feel itchy.
he had an itchy rash from the poison ivy.
after a month off work, she was getting itchy to start a new project.