Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving the referent” or “analogous to it”. · Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".
From Middle English quabby, equivalent to quob + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German quobbich, quöbbich, quöwwich, quabbech (“swampy, sticky, soft, difficult, boggy”).