-er

-er · suffix¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wer-“to protect”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*warjaz“inhabitant”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*-wari
4. Old English · inherited from-ware
5. Middle English · inherited from-wær(r)e, -ware
6. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*-tōr
7. Latin · derived from-(ā)tor
8. Old French · derived from-or
9. Latin · derived from-ārius
10. Old French · derived from-ier
11. Middle English · inherited from-er
12. Latin · derived from-ārius
13. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-ārijaz
14. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*-ārī
15. Old English · inherited from-ere
16. Middle English · inherited from-ere, -er
17. English today-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.

-er · suffix²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-izō
2. Old English · inherited from-ru
3. Middle English · inherited from-re
4. English today-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.

-er · suffix³

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*-ōzô
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-izô
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*iʀō
4. Old English · inherited from-ra
5. Middle English · inherited from-ere
6. English today-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.

-er · suffix⁴

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-ōz
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*-ōʀ
3. Old English · inherited from-or
4. Middle English · inherited from-er
5. English today-er

From Middle English -er, from Old English -or, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀ, Proto-Germanic *-ōz.

-er · suffix⁵

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-rōną
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*-rōn
3. Old English · inherited from-erian
4. Middle English · inherited from-eren
5. English today-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.

-er · suffix⁶

1. Old French · derived from-er
2. Anglo-Norman · derived from-er
3. Middle English · inherited from-er
4. English today-er

From Middle English -er, from Anglo-Norman -er, Old French -er, the infinitive verbal ending.

-er · suffix⁷

1. Middle English · inherited from-er
2. English today-er

From Middle English -er, -ere (diminutive suffix). Compare -el.

-er · suffix⁸

Attested in the UK since the 19th century. Originally Rugby School slang. Later adopted by Oxford University and then wider British society.

-er · suffix⁹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-raz
2. Old English · inherited from-er
3. Middle English · inherited from-er
4. English today-er

From Middle English -er, from Old English -er, -or, from Proto-Germanic *-raz. Compare -le.

-er · suffix¹⁰

1. Mandarin · borrowed from-兒 /-儿
2. English today-er

From Mandarin -兒 /-儿 (-ér).

Words from the same roots