wharfinger

The story

1. Middle English · inherited fromwharf“structure projecting into a body of water for ships to moor and load or unload, pier, quay, wharf”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromwharfāgium
3. Middle English · inherited fromwharfager“keeper of a wharf”
4. English todaywharfinger

From Late Middle English wharfager (“keeper of a wharf”) (modified in the same way as messenger from Middle English messager, passenger from Middle English passager, etc.), from wharfage (“use of a wharf; payment for such use”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns, especially names of persons engaged in professions or trades). Wharfage is probably derived from Medieval Latin wharfāgium, or from Middle English wharf (“structure projecting into a body of water for ships to moor and load or unload, pier, quay, wharf”) + -age (suffix forming nouns denoting actions, states, etc.). By surface analysis, wharfage + -er.

Words from the same roots