'fishlike' originates from the Old English word 'fisc', meaning 'fish', combined with the suffix '-like', indicating resemblance.

'fisc' transformed into the Middle English word 'fish', and eventually became the modern English word 'fish'. The suffix '-like' has been used since Old English to denote similarity.

Initially, it meant 'resembling a fish', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.