-ese

The story

1. Late Latin · derived from-iscus
2. Latin · derived from-ēnsis
3. Old French · derived from-eis
4. Middle English · inherited from-eys
5. English today-ese

From Middle English -eys, from Old French -eis, from Latin -ēnsis and, less often, Late Latin -iscus. Generally used in place of more common equivalent suffixes such as -er and -an on the model of equivalent terms in Italian and Portuguese, particularly for Italian, Portuguese African, and East Asian places first widely discussed in Portuguese and Latin.