entry
cherish
/ˈtʃɛrɪʃ/to care for someone or something deeply
From O.French cheriss- (dear).
from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- (“to desire, wish”)) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs).
from Old French cheriss-, present-participle stem of chierir "to hold dear" (12c., Modern French chérir)
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English charish, cherishen (“to have affection for, hold dear, treat kindly; to esteem, respect; to...
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- (“to desire, wish”)) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs).
from Old French cheriss-, present-participle stem of chierir "to hold dear" (12c., Modern French chérir)
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English charish, cherishen (“to have affection for, hold dear, treat kindly; to esteem, respect; to...
Imagine affection as something you keep warm in your hands: that is close to the old sense behind “cherish.” In the early 14th century, English took the word from Old French cheriss-, related to cher, “dear,” and ultimately to Latin cārus, meaning “beloved” as well as “costly.” The same Latin word traveled into Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese as caro—a reminder that what we treasure is often what we value. Wiktionary traces the deeper ancestry to Proto-Indo-European *keh₂-, “to desire, wish”; etymonline instead gives the broader reconstruction *ka-, “to like, desire,” so the exact prehistoric form is not entirely agreed upon in the supplied sources. To cherish someone, then, is to treat them as precious—not because they have a price, but because you would not trade them for one.
The Story
Imagine affection as something you keep warm in your hands: that is close to the old sense behind “cherish.” In the early 14th century, English took the word from Old French cheriss-, related to cher, “dear,” and ultimately to Latin cārus, meaning “beloved” as well as “costly.” The same Latin word traveled into Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese as caro—a reminder that what we treasure is often what we value. Wiktionary traces the deeper ancestry to Proto-Indo-European *keh₂-, “to desire, wish”; etymonline instead gives the broader reconstruction *ka-, “to like, desire,” so the exact prehistoric form is not entirely agreed upon in the supplied sources. To cherish someone, then, is to treat them as precious—not because they have a price, but because you would not trade them for one.
Modern Usage
A personal name used in user-submitted entries for a pretty, caring, or attractive woman.
Kin & Kindred
From 'cheriss-'·dear; held dear and treated affectionately
Cognates
Related words in other languages
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary