-er
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
-er¹
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.
Proto-Italic *-āzios
Latin -āriusnom.
Latin -āriusbor.
Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz
Proto-West Germanic *-ārī
Old English -ere
Middle English -ere
English -er
Inherited from Middle English -ere, -er, from Old English -ere, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, usually thought to have been borrowed from Latin -ārius; see Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz for an alternate theory. Reinforced by Middle English -er, from Old French -ier, also from Latin -ārius; compare the synonymous but unrelated Old French -or, -eor (Anglo-Norman variant -our), from Latin -(ā)tor, from Proto-Indo-European *-tōr.
The "inhabitant" sense is sometimes connected to Middle English -wær(r)e, -ware, from Old English -ware (suffix denoting residency), from Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“inhabitant”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to protect”).
Cognates
Cognate with Saterland Frisian -er, West Frisian -er, Dutch -er, German Low German -er, German -er, Danish -er, Swedish -are and Icelandic -ari.
suffix -ers · -'er · -r
- A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun. read + -er → reader
- A person or thing to which the root verb is done or can be done satisfactorily. look + -er → looker (“an attractive person”)
- A person whose occupation is the root noun; (more broadly, occasionally with adjectives) a person characterized by the root. astrology + -er → astrologer
- A person or thing to which a certain number or measurement applies. six + -er → sixer
- Used to form nouns shorter than more formal synonyms. percent + -er → percenter (“commission agent”)
- A person who is associated with, or supports a particular theory, doctrine, or political movement. birth + -er → birther
- A thing that is related in some way to the root, such as by location or purpose. bacon + -er → baconer (“pig raised for bacon”)
- Indicates a correspondence or coincidence between the action or condition indicated by the root and the noun being described. piss + -er → pisser (“a hilariously funny event or situation”)
- Suffix denoting a resident or inhabitant of (the place denoted by the proper noun); used to form a demonym. New York + -er → New Yorker
- Suffix denoting residency in or around a place, district, area, or region. island + -er → islander
-er²
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Old English -ru
Middle English -re
English -er
Inherited from Middle English -re, -er, from Old English -ru (plural suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-izō (plural suffix). Cognate with Dutch -er (plural ending), German -er (plural ending). See also -ren.
suffix
- Suffix used to form the plural of a small number of English nouns. childer, calver, lamber, linder ("loins")
-er³
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-yōs
Proto-Germanic *-izô
Proto-West Germanic *-iʀō
Proto-Germanic *-ōzô
Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀō
Old English -ra
Middle English -ere
English -er
From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ra, from Proto-West Germanic *iʀō, *-ōʀō, from Proto-Germanic *-izô or Proto-Germanic *-ōzô (a derivative of Etymology 4, below); related to superlative -est.
suffix
- More; used to form the comparative. hard + -er → harder
-er⁴
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
From Middle English -er, from Old English -or, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀ, Proto-Germanic *-ōz.
suffix
- More; used to form the comparative.
-er⁵
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *-urōną
Proto-West Germanic *-urōn
Old English -erian
Middle English -eren
English -er
From Middle English -eren, -ren, -rien, from Old English -erian, -rian, from Proto-West Germanic *-rōn, *-iʀōn, from Proto-Germanic *-rōną or *-izōną. Cognate with West Frisian -erje, Dutch -eren, German -eren, -ern, Danish -re, Swedish -ra.
suffix
- Frequently; used to form frequentative verbs. twitter, clamber, bicker, mutter, wander, flutter, flicker, slither, smother, sputter
-er⁶
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
From Middle English -er, from Anglo-Norman -er, Old French -er, the infinitive verbal ending.
suffix
- Instance of (the verbal action); used to form nouns from verbs. disclaim + -er → disclaimer
-er⁷
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
From Middle English -er, -ere (diminutive suffix). Compare -el.
suffix
- Used to form diminutives. shive + -er → shiver
-er⁸
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
Attested in the UK since the 19th century. Originally Rugby School slang. Later adopted by Oxford University and then wider British society.
suffix
- Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words. association + -er → soccer (“association football”)
-er⁹
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
From Middle English -er, from Old English -er, -or, from Proto-Germanic *-raz. Compare -le.
suffix
- A suffix creating adjectives from verbs, indicating aptitude, proneness, or tendency toward a specified action clive + -er → cliver (“apt to cleave or adhere to, tenacious, expert as seizing”)
-er10
- /ə/ UK
- /ɐ/ Northumbria
- /ɚ/ US
- [ɹ̩] US
Sounds like -or, -a (non-rhotic)
Where it comes from
From Mandarin -兒 /-儿 (-ér).
suffix
- Junior, child, younger person. (Attached to a name, usually one syllable of the given name.) Li’er said hello to his father.
