'aspish' originates from English, specifically formed from the noun 'asp' plus the adjectival suffix '-ish' (from Old English '-isc'), where 'asp' ultimately comes from Latin 'aspis' (from Greek 'aspis').

'aspish' was formed in Middle/Early Modern English from the noun 'asp' (Middle English 'asp') combined with the productive suffix '-ish' (Old English '-isc'), and it developed into the modern English adjective 'aspish'.

Initially it meant 'like an asp' (i.e., resembling the snake). Over time it also acquired a figurative sense of 'venomous or spiteful' and is now rare or literary in usage with both literal and figurative senses.