Thievish
/ˈθiːvɪʃ/noun
Having the character or appearance of a thief; furtive or stealthy.
Did you know?The word is not magical in origin, but it does come from an ancient Germanic root tied to stealing, which later gave English its whole family of crime-words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*theubaz / *theubō
“a thief; one who steals”
Old English
OE
þēof
“thief”
Old English
OE
þēofisc
“thievish, thief-like”
Middle English
ME
thevish
“thievish, furtive, sneaking”
Modern English
English
thievish
“having the qualities of a thief; furtive or stealthy”