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-er¹

suff.

a. One that performs a specified action: swimmer.

b. One that undergoes or is capable of undergoing a specified action: broiler.

c. One that has: ten-pounder.

d. One that is associated or involved with: banker.

a. Native or resident of: New Yorker.

b. One that is: foreigner.

[Middle English, partly from Old English -ere (from Germanic *-ārjaz, from Latin -ārius, -ary), partly from Anglo-French -er (from Old French -ier, from Latin -ārius) and partly from Old French -ere, -eor; see -OR¹.]

-er²

suff.

Used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs: darker; faster.

[Middle English, from Old English -re, -ra.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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