raffish

the word 'raffish' originates from the english dialect noun 'raff', which denoted a collection of worthless things or a disreputable crowd. this term is believed to have entered english from a scandinavian source, such as the old norse 'raf', meaning 'rubbish'. the suffix '-ish', of old english origin, is added to form adjectives meaning 'having the nature of'. therefore, the literal construction 'raffish' means 'having the nature of the rabble or rubbish'. over time, its meaning softened from purely disreputable to describe a kind of disreputability that is unconventional, flashy, and often appealingly nonconformist.

Structure: raff (disreputable) + ish (adjective suffix) raff (from english dialectal 'raff', meaning 'rubbish, rabble', likely of scandinavian origin) + ish (from old english '-isc', an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'having the character of').