-er 1
suff.（后缀）

One that performs a specified action:
…的人：用来指执行某一特殊动作的人：
swimmer.
游泳者
One that undergoes or is capable of undergoing a specified action:
用来指从事或能够完成某一特殊动作的人或物：
broiler.
烧烤食物者，烧烤器
One that has:
有…的人：
ten-pounder.
有十镑钱的人
One associated or involved with:
与…有关的人：
banker.
银行家

Native or resident of:
…的当地人或居民：
New Yorker.
纽约人
One that is:
是…的人：
foreigner.
外国人

语源

Middle English
中古英语
partly from Old English -ere from Germanic *-ārjaz
部分源自古英语 -ere 源自日耳曼语 *-ārjaz
partly from Anglo-French -er from Old French -ier from Latin -ārius [-ary]
部分源自英法语 -er 源自古法语 -ier 源自拉丁语 -ārius [前缀，表“从事…的人”，与“…有关的物”]
and partly from Old French -ere, -eor * see -or ¹
并且部分源自古法语 -ere, -eor *参见 -or¹

-er 2
suff.（后缀）

Used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs:
用于构成形容词和副词比较级：
darker; faster.
较暗的；较快的

语源

Middle English
中古英语
from Old English -re, -ra
源自古英语 -re, -ra

-er¹

suffix forming nouns

a person or thing that performs a specified action

⇒ reader

⇒ decanter

⇒ lighter

a person engaged in a profession, occupation, etc

⇒ writer

⇒ baker

⇒ bootlegger

a native or inhabitant of

⇒ islander

⇒ Londoner

⇒ villager

a person or thing having a certain characteristic

⇒ newcomer

⇒ double-decker

⇒ fiver

Origin

Old English -ere; related to German -er, Latin -ārius

-er²

suffix

forming the comparative degree of adjectives (deeper, freer, sunnier, etc) and adverbs ( faster, slower, etc)

Origin

Old English -rd, -re (adj), -or (adv)

-er¹

Word Origin

1

a suffix used in forming nouns designating persons from the object of their occupation or labor (hatter; tiler; tinner; moonshiner), or from their place of origin or abode (Icelander; southerner; villager), or designating either persons or things from some special characteristic or circumstance (six-footer; three-master; teetotaler; fiver; tenner).

2

a suffix serving as the regular English formative of agent nouns, being attached to verbs of any origin (bearer; creeper; employer; harvester; teacher; theorizer).

Compare -ier¹, -yer.

Origin

Middle English -er(e), a coalescence of Old English -ere agentive suffix (cognate with Old High German -āri, Gothic -areis < Germanic *-arjaz (> Slavic *-arĭ) < Latin -ārius -ary) and Old English -ware forming nouns of ethnic or residential orig. (as Rōmware Romans), cognate with Old High German -āri < Germanic *-warioz people

-er²

1

a noun suffix occurring in loanwords from French in the Middle English period, most often names of occupations (archer; butcher; butler; carpenter; grocer; mariner; officer), but also other nouns (corner; danger; primer). Some historical instances of this suffix, as in banker or gardener, where the base is a recognizable modern English word, are now indistinguishable from denominal formations with -er¹, as miller or potter.

Origin

Middle English < Anglo-French -er, equivalent to Old French -er, -ier < Latin -ārius, -ārium. Cf. -ary, -eer, -ier²

-er³

1

a termination of nouns denoting action or process: dinner; rejoinder; remainder; trover.

Origin

< French, orig. infinitive suffix -er, -re

-er⁴

1

a suffix regularly used in forming the comparative degree of adjectives: harder; smaller.

Origin

Middle English -er(e), -re, Old English -ra, -re; cognate with German -er

-er⁵

1

a suffix regularly used in forming the comparative degree of adverbs: faster.

Origin

Middle English -er(e), -re, Old English -or; cognate with Old High German -or, German -er

-er⁶

1

a formal element appearing in verbs having frequentative meaning: flicker; flutter; shiver; shudder.

Origin

Middle English; Old English -r-; cognate with German -(e)r-

-er⁷

1

a suffix that creates informal or jocular mutations of more neutral words, which are typically clipped to a single syllable if polysyllabic, before application of the suffix, and which sometimes undergo other phonetic alterations: bed-sitter; footer; fresher; rugger. Most words formed thus have been limited to English public-school and university slang; few, if any, have become current in North America, with the exception of soccer, which has also lost its earlier informal character.

Compare -ers.

Origin

probably modeled on nonagentive uses of -er¹; said to have first become current in University College, Oxford, 1875-80

-erI.

a suffix:

1. forming nouns designating persons from the object of their occupation or labour, as in hatter, tiler, tinner, moonshiner, or from their place of origin or abode, as in Icelander, southerner, villager, or designating either persons or things from some special characteristic or circumstances, as in two-seater, three-master, teetotaller, fiver, tenner.

2. serving as the regular English formative of agent nouns, as in bearer, creeper, employer, harvester, teacher, theoriser.

[Middle English, Old English -ere, distantly related to Latin -ārius]

II.

a suffix of nouns denoting persons or things concerned or connected with something, as in butler, grocer, officer, garner.

[Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French -er, -ier, from Latin -ārius, neuter -ārium. Compare -ary¹]

III.

a termination of certain nouns denoting action or process, as in dinner, rejoinder, remainder, trover.

[French; originally infinitive ending]

IV.

a suffix forming the comparative degree of adjectives, as in harder, smaller.

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

V.

a suffix forming the comparative degree of adverbs, as in faster.

[Middle English, Old English -or]

VI.

a suffix forming frequentative verbs, as in flicker, flutter, glimmer, patter.

[Middle English, Old English -r-]

VII.

preposition (in representations of speech)

of (in forms such as sorter, kinder, etc.).

Also, -a.

VIII.

Colloquial

(a representation of a reduced pronunciation of the sound /oʊ/, as in feller for fellow.)

IX.

a suffix added to words that have been shortened, generally to the first syllable, and sometimes changed phonetically, to create colloquial forms, as in acker (academic), bed-sitter (bed-sitting room), booner (boondocks), footer (football), sanger (sandwich).

Also, -a, -ers. [originally late 19th-century British slang of Oxford University; probably an extended use of -er¹]

-er

I

adjective suffix or adverb suffix

ETYMOLOGY Middle English -er, -ere, -re, from Old English -ra (in adjectives), -or (in adverbs); akin to Old High German -iro, adjective comparative suffix, Latin -ior, Greek -iōn

— used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable
    hotter
    drier
and of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables
    completer
    beautifuller

II

noun suffix
also -ier or -yer

ETYMOLOGY Middle English -er, -ere, -ier, -iere; partly from Old English -ere (from Latin -arius); partly from Old French -ier, -iere, from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium -ary; partly from Anglo-French -ere, from Latin -ator -or — more at -ary, -or

1.
  a. person occupationally connected with
      furrier
      lawyer
  b. person or thing belonging to or associated with
      header
      old-timer
  c. native of : resident of
      cottager
      New Yorker
  d. one that has
      three-decker
  e. one that produces or yields
      porker
2.
  a. one that does or performs (a specified action)
      batter
  — sometimes added to both elements of a compound
      builder-upper
  b. one that is a suitable object of (a specified action)
      broiler
3. one that is
    foreigner
— in all senses -yer in a few words after w, -ier in a few other words, otherwise -er

-er⁴

/ə(r)/

suffix

forming frequentative verbs such as glimmer, patter ［构成反复动词］：: glimmer, patter.

词源

Old English -erian, -rian, of Germanic origin.

-er⁶

/ə(r)/

suffix

chiefly Law (forming nouns) denoting verbal action or a document effecting such action 【主律】［构成名词］表示“口头诉讼或使该口头诉讼生效的文件”：: disclaimer

misnomer.

词源

from Anglo-Norman French （infinitive ending）.

-er¹

/ə(r)/

suffix

1.

denoting a person, animal, or thing that performs a specified action or activity 表示“做…动作的人（或动物、物）”, “从事…活动的人（或动物、物）”：: farmer

sprinkler.

2.

denoting a person or thing that has a specified attribute or form 表示“有…特性或外形的人（或物）”：: foreigner

two-wheeler.

3.

denoting a person concerned with a specified thing or subject 表示“与…有关的人”, “做…学问的人”：: milliner

philosopher.

4.

denoting a person belonging to a specified place or group 表示“…地方的人”, “属于…群体的人”：: city-dweller

New Yorker.

词源

Old English -ere, of Germanic origin.

-er⁵

/ə(r)/

suffix

forming nouns ［构成名词］

1.

such as sampler 例如sampler. 比较 -AR¹.: [ORIGIN: ending corresponding to Latin -aris.]

■ such as butler, danger 例如butler, danger.: [ORIGIN: ending corresponding to Latin -arius, -arium.]

■ such as border 例如border.: [ORIGIN: ending corresponding （via Old French -eure ） to Latin -atura.]

■ such as laver 例如laver. 见 LAVER².: [ORIGIN: ending corresponding （via Old French -eor ） to Latin -atorium.]

2.

equivalent to -OR¹ ［相当于-OR¹］。

词源

via Old French or Anglo-Norman French （see above）.

-er³

/ə(r)/

suffix

forming nouns used informally, usually by distortion of the root word ［构成非正式场合使用的名词, 常通过改变根词含义的方法进行］：: footer

rugger.

词源

probably an extended use of -ER¹; originally Rugby School slang, later adopted at Oxford University, then extended into general use.

-er²

/ə(r)/

suffix

forming the comparative of adjectives (as in bigger) and adverbs (as in faster ) ［构成形容词和副词的比较级］：: bigger, faster.

词源

Old English suffix -ra （adjectival）, -or （adverbial）, of Germanic origin.

▪ I.-er, suffix¹ME. -er(e, -ar(e, OE. -ęre (ONorthumb. often -are), forming ns., represents WGer. -âri:—OTeut. -ârjo-z, whence OHG. -âri (MHG. -ære, mod.G. -er), and (with change of declension) ON. -ari (OIcel. -are, later -ari, Sw. -are, Da. -ere). The related and functionally equivalent WGer. -ari (OS. -eri, Du. -er, OHG. -ari, -eri, MHG. -ere) = Goth. -areis:—OTeut. type -arjo-z (which by phonetic law would prob. have become in OE. -erᵹe, in ON. -ri) has in OE. coalesced with this. The phonological relation between OTeut. -ā̆rjo-z and L. -ārius is obscure: Möller Zur ahd. Alliterationspoesie (1888) 142 argues that -ârjo-z originated in words adopted from Lat. words in -ārius, and that -ărjo-z is either an accentual variant of this, or (possibly) represents an OAryan type -orios.1. In its original use the suffix -ā̆rjo-z was added (like L. -ārius) to ns., forming derivative ns. with the general sense ‘a man who has to do with (the thing denoted by the primary n.)’, and hence chiefly serving to designate persons according to their profession or occupation; e.g. Goth. dômareis, ON. dômari judge, f. OTeut. *dômo- judgement, doom; Goth. bôkareis, OE. bócere scribe, f. OTeut. *bôk- book; OHG. sangâri (mod.G. sänger), ON. sǫngare, OE. sangere (ME. songere) singer, f. OTeut. *sangwo- song. Of this type there are many specially Eng. formations, e.g. hatter, slater, tinner. Where the primary n. ends in -w:—ME. -ȝe:—OE. -ᵹe, the suffix assumes the form -yer (in ME. -iere, -yere), as in bowyer, lawyer, sawyer; and, either after the analogy of these or by assimilation to Fr. derivatives in -ier (see -er²), it appears as -ier in certain other words of ME. date, as brazier, clothier, collier, glazier, grazier, hosier. The Eng. words of this formation not referring to profession or employment are comparatively few: examples are bencher, cottager, outsider, villager. With these may be compared a class of words chiefly belonging to mod. colloquial language, and denoting things or actions, as header, back-hander, fiver, out-and-outer, three-decker. A special use of the suffix, common to the mod. Teut. langs. though scarcely to be found in their older stages, is its addition to names of places or countries to express the sense ‘a native of’, ‘a resident in’, e.g. Londoner, New Yorker, Icelander. With similar notion, derivatives in -er have been formed upon certain Eng. adjs. indicating place of origin or residence, as foreigner, northerner, southerner.2. Most of the ns. which in early Teutonic gave rise to derivatives in -ā̆rjo-z, also gave rise to wk. vbs. in -jan or -ôjan, to which the former stood related in sense as agent-nouns; thus Goth. dômareis judge, served as the agent-noun to dômjan to judge. Hence, by analogy, the suffix came to be regarded as a formative of agent-nouns, and with this function it was added to verbal bases both of the weak and the strong conjugation. Many derivatives of this type existed already in OE., and many more have been added in the later periods of the language. In mod.Eng. they may be formed on all vbs., excepting some of those which have agent-nouns ending in -or, and some others for which this function is served by ns. of different formation (e.g. correspond, correspondent). The distinction between -er and -or as the ending of agent-nouns is purely historical and orthographical; in the present spoken language they are alike pronounced |ə(r)|, except that in law terms and in certain Lat. words not fully naturalized, -or is still sounded |ɔː(r)|. In received spelling, the choice between the two forms is often capricious, or determined by other than historical reasons. The agent-nouns belonging to vbs. f. L. ppl. stems, and to those formed with -ate, usually end in -or, being partly adoptions from Lat., and partly assimilated to Lat. analogies. But when the sense is purely agential, without any added notion such as that of office, trade, or profession, function, etc., -er is often used; cf. inspector, respecter; projector, rejecter. In a few instances both forms of the agent-noun are still in current use, commonly without any corresponding distinction in sense, as asserter, assertor; sometimes with a distinction of technical and general sense (often however neglected) as accepter, acceptor. The Romanic -our, -or of agent-nouns has been in most cases replaced by -er where the related vb. exists in Eng.; exceptions are governor, conjuror (for which -er also occurs); in special sense we have saviour, but in purely agential sense saver. In liar, beggar, the spelling -ar is a survival of the occasional ME. variant -ar(e. The agent-nouns in -er normally denote personal agents (originally, only male persons, though this restriction is now wholly obsolete); many of them, however, may be used to denote material agents, and hence also mere instruments; e.g. blotter, cutter, poker, roller, etc.3. In several instances -er has the appearance of being an unmeaning extension of earlier words ending in -er denoting trades or offices. Most of these words are of Fr. origin, as caterer, † cytolerer (= citoler), † fermerer, † feuterer, fruiterer, poulterer; an analogous case in a native word is upholsterer. The real formation of these words is obscure: some are prob. from vbs., while in other cases formation on words in -ery may be conjectured.4. After the analogy of astrologer, astronomer (q.v.), the suffix -er is used to form ns. serving as adaptations of L. types in -logus, -graphus; e.g. chronologer, philologer, † theologer; biographer, geographer, orthographer.Philosopher (in Chaucer and Gower always philoˈsophre) is perh. not a formation of this kind, as the r may be merely excrescent. In chorister, sophister, barrister (cf. ME. legistre) the -er is not a suffix, but results from an AF. substitution of -istre for -iste, perh. on the analogy of ministre.▪ II.-er², suffixof various origin, occurring in ns. and adjs. adopted from OF.1. ME. -er, repr. OF. -er:—L. -ārem, -ar: see -ar. Nearly all the ME. words ending in -er of this origin have been refashioned after Lat., so that the suffix is now written -ar: see examples under -ar. The older form of the suffix is retained in sampler.2. ME. -er, a. AF. -er (OF. -ier) in ns. which descend from L. forms in -ārius, -ārium (see -ary), or which were formed in Fr. after the analogy of those so descending. Where the L. type of the suffix is the masc. -ārius, it has usually the sense ‘a person connected with’, and the words are designations of office or occupation, as butler, carpenter, draper, grocer, mariner, officer. (So also in a few ME. adoptions of OF. fem. ns. in -iere:—L. -āria, as chamberer, lavender.) Where the suffix represents the L. neuter -ārium, the sense is ‘a thing connected with’, ‘a receptacle for’, as in antiphoner, danger, garner, etc.3. In mod.Eng. -er appears as a casual representative of various other suffixes of OF. origin which have been weakened in pronunciation to |ə(r)|; thus in border, bracer, it stands for OF. -ëure (:—L. -ātūram), commonly represented by -ure; in laver it stands for OF. -ëor, now -oir (:—L. ātōrium), in ME. rendered -our. The agent-suffix -our (OF. -ëor:—L. -ātōrem) is now very often replaced by -er; it can seldom be determined whether this is due to phonetic weakening, or to the substitution of -er¹ for its Romanic synonym. Where the same word had in 14th c. the two forms -our and -er(e, as chaungeour, changer, the former supposition is excluded; but the forms in -er(e may possibly sometimes be a. OF. nominative forms in -ere:—L. -ˈātor.▪ III.-er³, suffixthe formative of the comparative degree in adjs. and advbs.A. In adjs. ME. -er, -ere (-ore, -ure), -re, OE. -ra (fem., neut. -re) represents two different suffixes used in OTeut. to form the compar., viz.: -izon- (Goth. -iza, OHG., OS. -iro, ON. -ri with umlaut), and -ôzon- (Goth. -ôza, OHG. -ôro, ON. -ari). These OTeut. suffixes are f. the adverbial -iz, -ôz: see B. In OE. only a few comparatives retained the umlaut which phonetic law requires in the -izon- type; in mod.Eng. no forms with umlaut remain, except better, elder (OE. bętera, ięldra), the comparatives being ordinarily formed by adding -er to the positive. The ‘irregular comparatives’ worse (OE. wiersa = Goth. wairsiza) and less (OE. lǽssa) contain the suffix -izon in a disguised form, and the analogy of other comparatives has given rise to the extended forms worser and lesser. In mod.Eng. the comparatives in -er are almost restricted to adjs. of one or two syllables; longer adjs., and also disyllables containing any suffix other than -y or -ly, having the periphrastic comparison by means of the adv. more. Earlier writers, however, have beautifuller, eminenter, slavisher, etc.; a few modern writers, e.g. Carlyle, affect the same method. The periphrastic form is admissible (esp. in predicative use) for all adjs., even monosyllables, which are not extremely common colloquially.2. In hinder, inner, the comparative suffix, though in WGer. and ON. formally coincident with that treated above, is quite distinct in origin, repr. OTeut. -eron-, f. OAryan -ero-.B. In adverbs. The OE. form of the comparative suffix was -or, corresp. to OS., OHG. -ôr, Goth. -ôs:—OTeut. -ôz. OTeut. had also a suffix -iz with the same function, corresponding to L. -is in magis, nimis, and cogn. with L. -ior of adjs.; it is represented by Goth. -is, ON. -r with umlaut; in OE. by the umlaut in monosyllabic comparatives like lęng:—*langiz longer, bęt:—*batiz better, which died out in early ME., being superseded by the adj. forms. The relation between the two OTeut. suffixes is much disputed: a widely-held hypothesis is that -ôz is f. -ô adverbial suffix + -iz. The advbs. which take -er in the comparative are chiefly those which are now identical in form with adjs. (either repr. OE. advbs. in -e, or modern adverbial uses of the adj.): e.g. ‘to work harder’, ‘to stand closer’. Exceptional instances are oftener, seldomer, sooner. The advbs. in -ly² are now compared periphrastically with more, though in earlier writers the inflexional comparison is common, e.g. easilier = more easily, ME. entierlocure = more entirely; in poetry it still occurs, as in keenlier (Tennyson).▪ IV.-er, suffix⁴the ending of certain AF. infinitives used substantively as law terms, e.g. cesser, disclaimer, misnomer, trover, user, waiver. Of similar origin is the ending in dinner, supper, a. OF. disner, soper.▪ V.-er, suffix⁵forming frequentative vbs. The vbs. of this formation which can be traced in OE. have the form -rian (:—OTeut. -rôjan); e.g. clatrian clatter, flotorian flutter. The other Teut. langs. have many vbs. of this type, denoting repeated action; often they are f. verbal bases, as MHG. wanderen = OE. wandrian wander, f. OTeut. *wandjan wend v., ON. vafra waver, f. vafa = wave v.; sometimes app. on onomatopœic bases, as OHG. zwizarôn = twitter. Further examples in Eng. are batter, chatter, clamber, flicker, glitter, mutter, patter, quaver, shimmer, shudder, slumber.▪ VI.-er, suffix⁶Also -ers.Introduced from Rugby School into Oxford University slang, orig. at University College, in Michaelmas Term, 1875; used to make jocular formations on ns., by clipping or curtailing them and adding -er to the remaining part, which is sometimes itself distorted. Among the earliest instances are footer n.¹ 3 b (= football) (1863), rugger² (1893), socker (1891); togger (1897), tosher³ (1889); bonner, brekker (1889), Divvers, ekker (1891).Other familiar examples are bedder³, bed-sitter = bed-sittingroom, collekkers = collections (see collection 8), cupper², and (formerly) rudders = rudiments (of divinity), stragger = stranger. Examples of proper names are Adders = Addison's Walk, Bodder = Bodleian, Jaggers = Jesus (College), Quaggers = The Queen's College. (Cf. F. Madan Oxford outside the Guidebooks, 1923.)1892Isis 8 June 26/1 At the close of the Lancashire match we heard one man ejaculate..‘This is breath-ers’... This..is all that remains of the..expression ‘breathless excitement’.1899Daily Tel. 14 Aug. 9/5 The triumph of this jargon was reached when some one christened the Martyrs' Memorial the ‘Martyrs' Memugger’.1903D. Coke Sandford of Merton ii. 10 ‘Wagger-pagger-bagger’ for the receptacle of torn-up letters and the like.1904Daily Chron. 25 Mar. 4/7 Mr. Gladstone was ‘the Gladder’. An undergraduate left his ‘bedder’ in the morning to eat his ‘brekker’ in his ‘sitter’; later he attended a ‘lecker’, and in the afternoon he might run with the ‘Toggers’ (torpid races) or take some other form of ‘ecker’.1912Tatler 23 Oct., Suppl. 40 The ‘Pragger-Wagger’, it should be explained, is the new name given to the Prince of Wales.1914D. O. Barnett Lett. (1915) 13 The P-Wagger came to see us yesterday. I met him coming off parade, and threw a hairy salute.1914C. Mackenzie Sinister St. II. iii. 517 ‘They say we shall all have to interview the Warden tomorrow.’ ‘They say on Sunday afternoon the Wagger makes the same speech to the freshers that he's made for twenty years.’Ibid. 543 ‘You'd better let me put your name down for the Ugger’. ‘The what?’..‘The Union.’1963Sunday Times 22 Sept. 18/4 The twenties were the age of the ‘er’ at Repton. The changing-room was the chagger and a sensation a sensagger. A six at cricket was a criper.

-er

1

English agent noun ending, corresponding to Latin -or. In native words it represents Old English -ere (Old Northumbrian also -are) "man who has to do with," from Proto-Germanic *-ari (cognates: German -er, Swedish -are, Danish -ere), from Proto-Germanic *-arjoz. Some believe this root is identical with, and perhaps a borrowing of, Latin -arius (see -ary).

Generally used with native Germanic words. In words of Latin origin, verbs derived from past participle stems of Latin ones (including most verbs in -ate) usually take the Latin ending -or, as do Latin verbs that passed through French (such as governor); but there are many exceptions (eraser, laborer, promoter, deserter; sailor, bachelor), some of which were conformed from Latin to English in late Middle English.

The use of -or and -ee in legal language (such as lessor/lessee) to distinguish actors and recipients of action has given the -or ending a tinge of professionalism, and this makes it useful in doubling words that have a professional and a non-professional sense (such as advisor/adviser, conductor/conducter, incubator/incubater, elevator/elevater).

2

comparative suffix, from Old English -ra (masc.), -re (fem., neuter), from Proto-Germanic *-izon (cognates: Gothic -iza, Old Saxon -iro, Old Norse -ri, Old High German -iro, German -er), from PIE *-yos-, comparative adjective suffix. Originally also with umlaut change in stem, but this was mostly lost in Old English by historical times and has now vanished (except in better and elder).

For most comparatives of one or two syllables, use of -er seems to be fading as the oral element in our society relies on more before adjectives to express the comparative; thus prettier is more pretty, cooler is more cool [Barnhart].

3

suffix used to make jocular or familiar formations from common or proper names (soccer being one), first attested 1860s, English schoolboy slang, "Introduced from Rugby School into Oxford University slang, orig. at University College, in Michaelmas Term, 1875" [OED, with unusual precision].

☞ -er, -ier

☞ -er, -or

1
-er /ə/ suffix¹. OE.

ORIGIN: Old English -ere from Germanic.

Forming nouns.

1.Forming nouns from nouns and adjectives with the senses (i) ‘a person (orig. spec. a man) involved in or with, esp. as an occupation or profession', as hatter, probationer, tiler, etc., some in adaptations of Latin words in -graphus, -logus, as geographer, astrologer, etc.; (ii) ‘a person originating or resident in (a place)’, as cottager, foreigner, Londoner, New Yorker, northerner, villager, etc.; (iii) ‘a person or thing belonging to or connected with’, as airliner, old-timer, sixth-former, whaler, etc.; (iv) ‘a person who or thing which has or is’, as double-decker, fiver, porker, second-rater, three-wheeler, etc.; (v) ‘a thing or action, done by or involving’, as back-hander, header, etc.

2.Forming nouns from almost all verbs and some nouns with the senses (i) ‘a person (orig. spec. a man) who or animal which does, an instrument, machine, occurrence, action, etc., which does', as blotter, computer, eye-opener, lifer, lover, maker, miler, pointer, poker, shaker, singer, wheeler-dealer, etc.; (ii) ‘a thing suitable for’, as broiler etc.; (iii) in fruiterer, sorcerer, etc., a pleonastic extension of words in -er².

2
-er /ə/ suffix² (not productive).

1.Repr. Old French -er from Latin -aris -ar¹ (now usual) in nouns, as sampler etc.

2.Repr. Anglo-Norman -er (Old French -ier) from Latin -arius, -arium (see -ary¹) in nouns with the senses ‘a person or thing connected with’, as butler, danger, mariner, etc., ‘a receptacle for’, as garner etc.

3.Repr. Old French -eüre from Latin -atura in nouns, as bracer etc., or Old French -eör (mod. -oir) from Latin -atorium, as laver etc.

4.Var. of -or (repl. -our).

3
-er /ə/ suffix³. OE.

ORIGIN: Old English -ra (fem., neut. -re) adjective, -or adverbial, both from Germanic.

Forming the compar. of adjectives and adverbs, now esp. of words of one syllable and occas. of two, as colder, narrower, etc.

NOTE Mod. spelling conventions are as follows: Words in -e drop the e, as brave: braver; a final single consonant other than h, w, or x is doubled if preceded by a single-letter vowel, as grim: grimmer; in most adjectives and a few adverbs in -y the y becomes i, as early: earlier, similarly in words in -ey, as gooey: gooier.

4
-er /ə/ suffix⁴ (not productive).

ORIGIN: Repr. Anglo-Norman inf. ending of verbs.

Forming nouns, freq. in Law, with the sense ‘(a single instance of) the verbal action, a document effecting this’, as cesser, dinner, disclaimer, misnomer, supper, etc.

5
-er /ə/ suffix⁵. OE.

ORIGIN: Old English -(e)rian = Old Saxon, Old High German -arōn, Old Norse -ra, from Germanic.

Forming frequentative and iterative verbs from (parts of) verbs or on sound-imitation, as clamber, clatter, mutter, shudder, slumber, twitter, etc.

6
-er /ə/ suffix⁶. Also -ers /əz/. M19.Added to shortened forms of words to form slang & colloq. equivalents, as brekker, footer, rugger, etc., among which soccer has passed into general use. As well as appearing in pls., as Divvers etc., the var. -ers is used esp. in proper names (e.g. Twickers = Twickenham) and to form adjectives, as bonkers, crackers, preggers, starkers, etc.

NOTE Orig. Rugby School slang, adopted at Oxford University, and then into wider use.

-er¹

suffix forming nouns.

(added to verbs) a person or thing that _____s: Climber = a person, animal, or plant that climbs. Admirer = a person who admires.

(added to nouns) a person living in _____: New Yorker = a person living in New York. Villager = a person living in a village.

(added to nouns) a person who makes or works with _____: Hatter = a person who makes hats.

(added to nouns) a person or thing that is or has _____: Six-footer = a person who is six feet tall. Rancher = a person who has a ranch.

[Old English -ere, ultimately < Latin -ārius having to do with]

Usage-er, -or. Names of persons or things performing an act (nouns of agent) and some other nouns are generally formed in English by adding -er to a verb (doer, killer, painter, heater, thinker), but many, chiefly nouns taken from Latin or French (assessor, prevaricator), end in -or. Since the two endings are pronounced the same uhr, it is sometimes hard to remember whether -er or -or should be written. A dictionary will settle such questions.

-er²

suffix forming nouns from other nouns. a person or thing connected with _____: Officer = a person connected with an office.

[< Anglo-French -er, Old French -ier < Latin -ārius, -ārium having to do with]

-er³

suffix forming the comparative degree of adjectives. more: Softer = more soft.

[Middle English -er, -ere, Old English -ra (masculine), -re (feminine, neuter)]

-er⁴

suffix forming the comparative degree of adverbs. more: Slower = more slow.

[Old English -or]

-er⁵

suffix. the action or process of _____ing, as in waiver, supper.

[< Old French -er (originally, an infinitive ending) < Latin -āre]

-er⁶

suffix. _____ frequently; _____ again and again, as to flicker, patter.

[Middle English -eren, Old English -rian]

Er (no period)

erbium (chemical element).

E.R.

King Edward (Latin, Eduardus Rex).

Queen Elizabeth (Latin, Elizabeth Regina).

E.R.

emergency room.

-er
I. \ə(r), after some vowels (ə)r in R speech, after ŋ gə(r) (but after ŋ -er II is ə(r))\ adjective suffix or adverb suffix
Etymology: Middle English -er, -ere, -re, from Old English -ra (in adjectives), -or (in adverbs); akin to comparative suffixes Old High German -iro, -ōro (in adjectives), -ōr (in adverbs), Old Norse -ri, -ari (in adjectives), -r, -ar (in adverbs), Gothic -iza, -oza (in adjectives), -is, -os (in adverbs), Latin -ior (in adjectives), Greek -iōn (in adjectives), Sanskrit -īyas (in adjectives)
— used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable
< hotter >
< drier >
< later >
< sooner >
< colder >
and of certain adjectives and adverbs of two syllables
< abler >
< completer >
< gentlier >
< happier >
< yellower >
and sometimes of longer ones; regularly accompanied by coalescence with final e of the base word, change of final postconsonantal y of the base word to i, or doubling of the final consonant of the base word immediately after a short stressed vowel — compare more II
II. \ə(r) — compare -er I\ noun suffix
also -ier \ēə(r), yə(r)\; or -yer \yə(r)\
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English -er, -ere, from Old English -ere; akin to Dutch & German -er, Old High German -āri, Old Norse -ari, Gothic -areis; all from a prehistoric Germanic suffix borrowed from Latin -arius ¹-ary; in sense 1, partly from Middle English -er, -ier, -ere, -iere, from Anglo-French -er, -ere & Old French -ier, -iere, from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium ¹-ary; in sense 2, partly from Middle English -er, -ere, from Middle French -ere, from Latin -ator (suffix denoting an agent) — more at -ary, -or
1.
a. : person occupationally connected with
  < hatter >
  < jailer >
  < furrier >
  < hosier >
  < lawyer >
b. : person or thing belonging to, related to, or associated with
  < header >
  < old-timer >
  < high schooler >
c. : native of : resident of : one coming from
  < cottager >
  < Londoner >
  < Marylander >
  < New Yorker >
d. : one that has
  < three-decker >
  < the baby is a ten-pounder >
e. : one that produces or yields
  < porker >
  < vealer >
  < wooler >
2.
a. : one that does or performs (a specified action)
  < maker >
  < player >
  < reporter >
  < transformer >
  < range finder >
— sometimes added to both elements of a compound
  < builder-upper >
  < tryer-outer >
b. : one that is a suitable object of (a specified action)
  < broiler >
  < fryer >
3. : one that is
< foreigner >
< goner >
< westerner >
< down-and-outer >
— -yer in a small number of words after w, -ier in a small number of words after other letters, otherwise -er; -er and -ier regularly accompanied by doubling of the final consonant of the base word immediately after a short stressed vowel, -ier regularly accompanied by omission of final e of the base word, -er regularly accompanied by coalescence with final e of the base word and sometimes accompanied by change of final postconsonantal y of the base word to i
< flier >
< flyer >

-er¹
-'er (following an abbreviation, or sometimes following a number)

(UK) IPA: /ə/

(US) enPR: ər, IPA: /ɚ/

Suffix

added to verbs A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.

reader, cooker, computer, runner-up, do-gooder
added to verbs, informal A person or thing to which the root verb can satisfactorily be done.

a real looker: a beautiful woman

a keeper: a person or thing worth keeping
added to a noun denoting an occupation A person whose occupation is (the noun).

astrologer, cricketer, trumpeter
added to a number, measurement or noun denoting a quantified set A name for a person or thing that is based on a number (with or without a noun).

sixer, six-footer, three-wheeler, first-grader
slang, chiefly entertainment, with few limitations Used to form nouns shorter than more formal synonyms.

percenter (commission agent); one-hander (one-man show); oater (a Western-themed movie)
informal, added to a noun One who enjoys.

Tooners lined up for tickets to Toy Story.
derogatory, added to nouns Person who subscribes to a particular conspiracy theory or unorthodox belief.

anti-vaxxer, birther, flat-Earther, 9/11 truther

Etymology

From Middle English -er, -ere, from Old English -ere (agent suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz (agent suffix). Usually thought to have been borrowed from Latin -ārius. Cognate with Dutch -er, Low German -er, German -er, Swedish -are, Icelandic -ari, Gothic -𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (-areis). Compare also Ancient Greek -ήριος (-ḗrios), Old Church Slavonic -арь (-arĭ).

Usage notes

The suffix may be used to form an agent noun of many verbs. In compound or phrasal verbs, the suffix usually follows the verb component (as in passerby and runner-up) but is sometimes added at the end, irrespective of the position of the verb component (do-gooder) or is added to both components for humorous effect (washer-upper).

The entertainment slang sense is sometimes referred to as the Variety -er.

Derived terms

English words suffixed with -er (agent noun)

-er²

Suffix

added to a proper noun Suffix denoting a resident or inhabitant of (the place denoted by the proper noun); used to form a demonym.

New Yorker, Londoner, Dubliner, New Englander
Suffix denoting residency in or around a place, district, area, or region.

islander, highlander, eastender, prisoner

Etymology

From Middle English -er, -ere, from Old English -ware (suffix denoting residency or meaning "inhabitant of"), from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“defender, inhabitant”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”). Cognate with Dutch -er, German -er, Swedish -are.

Derived terms

English words suffixed with -er (inhabitant)

-er³

Suffix

obsolete, no longer productive Suffix used to form the plural of a small number of English nouns.

childer, calver, lamber, linder ("loins")

Etymology

From Middle English -er, -re, 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.

Derived terms

-ren

-er⁴

Suffix

person or thing connected with

butler

Etymology

Representing various noun-suffixes in Old French and Anglo-Norman, variously -er, -ier and -ieur, from Latin -aris, -arius, -atorium.

-er⁵

Suffix

added to certain adjectives and adverbs, now especially short ones more; used to form the comparative.

longer, bigger, faster, sooner, simpler

Etymology

From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ra, from Proto-Germanic *-izô or Proto-Germanic *-ōzô (a derivative of Etymology 6, below); related to superlative -est.

Usage notes

(more; used to form the comparative): Adjectives whose comparatives are formed using the suffix -er also form their superlatives using the suffix -est.

Final -y preceded by a consonant becomes -i- when the suffix -er or -est is added.

easy → easier → easiest; gray → grayer → grayest

When the stress is on the final (or only) syllable of the adjective, and this syllable ends in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is doubled when the suffix is added.

dim → dimmer → dimmest

The suffixes -er and -est may be used to form the comparative and superlative of most adjectives and adverbs that have one syllable and some that have two syllables.

hot → hotter → hottest; fast → faster → fastest; funny → funnier → funniest

Some adjectives and adverbs form their comparatives and superlatives irregularly:

good → better → best; far → farther → farthest, or far → further → furthest, depending on the meaning

The comparatives and superlatives of other adverbs and adjectives that have two syllables, most longer adjectives and adverbs, and adjectives that are participles are formed with more and most.

rigid → more rigid → most rigid; enormous → more enormous → most enormous; burnt → more burnt → most burnt; freezing → more freezing → most freezing

If in doubt, use more to form the comparative and most to form the superlative; for example, thirsty may become thirstier and thirstiest, but more thirsty and most thirsty are also acceptable.

Words ending with -ng are pronounced /ŋ/ by most dialects instead of /ŋɡ/. However, when -er or -est is added to an adjective, the /ɡ/ appears (in most dialects).

long (/lɒŋ/) → longer (/ˈlɒŋ.ɡə(ɹ)/); young (/jʌŋ/) → youngest (/ˈjʌŋ.ɡɪst/)

-er⁶

Suffix

added to certain adverbs more; used to form the comparative.

Etymology

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

-er⁷

Suffix

added to a verb or imitative sound frequently; used to form frequentative verbs.

twitter, clamber, bicker, mutter, wander, flutter, flicker, slither, smother, sputter

Etymology

From Middle English -eren, -ren, -rien, from Old English -erian, -rian, from Proto-Germanic *-rōną. Cognate with West Frisian -erje, Dutch -eren, German -eren, -ern, Danish -re, Swedish -ra.

Synonyms

(used to form frequentative): -le

-er⁸

Suffix

added to a verb instance of (the verbal action); used to form nouns from verbs, especially in legal terms.

disclaimer, misnomer, remitter, rebutter

Etymology

Representing Anglo-Norman -er, the infinitive verbal ending.

Derived terms

English words suffixed with -er (action noun)

-er⁹

Suffix

added to a verb or noun used to form diminutives.

shiver < shive

sliver < slive

splinter < splint

Etymology

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

-er¹⁰

Suffix

Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words.

soccer, rugger, brekkers, Radder, divvers

Etymology

Originally Rugby School slang.

-er¹¹

Suffix

fiction signifying a little one, junior, child, younger person. Attached to a name, usually a portion of the given name.

Etymology

From Mandarin -兒 (-ér).

Usage notes

In Chinese-language fiction translated into English, to add a Chinese flavour (Mandarin language), some translators leave the term "-er" untranslated, left in unaccented pinyin. This practice is similar to not translating "-kun" / "-chan" / "-san" or "sensei" in English-language Japanese fiction.

Coordinate terms

-chan (similar suffix extracted from Japanese into English, when used in English-translated Japanese fiction)

后缀：-er ①[名词后缀]

1、表示人

（a）行为的主动者，做某事的人

singer 歌唱家

dancer 跳舞者

teacher 教师

writer 作者，作家

reader 读者

leader 领袖

fighter 战士

worker 工人

farmer 农民

turner 车工

（b）与某事物有关的人

hatter 帽商，制帽工人

banker 银行家

wagoner 驾驶运货车的人

tinner 锡匠

weekender 度周末假者

teenager (十三至十九岁的)青少年

six-footer 身高六英尺以上的人

miler 一英里赛跑运动员

（c）属于某国、某地区的人

United Stateser 美国人

New Yorker 纽约人

Thailander 泰国人

New Zealander 新西兰人

northerner 北方人

southerner 南方人

Britisher 英国人

Londoner 伦敦人

Icelander 冰岛人

islander 岛国

inlander 内地人

villager 村民

2、表示物（与某事物有关之物或能做某事之物）及动物（能做某事的动物）

washer 洗衣机

lighter 打火机

heater 加热器

cutter 切削器，刀类

boiler 煮器，锅

fiver 五元钞票

tenner 十元钞票

silencer 消音器

woodpecker 啄木鸟

creeper 爬行动物，爬虫

3、加在方位词上表示“...风”

norther 强北风

northwester 强西北风

souther 强南风

southeaster 强东南风

②[动词后缀]

表示反复动作，连续动作及拟声动作

waver 来回摆动

chatter 喋喋不休

stutter 结舌，口吃

batter 连打

mutter 喃喃自语

clatter 作卡嗒声

patter 发嗒嗒声

whisper 低语，作沙沙声

③[形容词及副词后缀]

表示比较级“更...”

graeter 更大

warmer 更暖

happier 更快乐

faster 更快

earlier 更早

harder 更努力

词根词缀：-er

【来源及含义】a suffix with a variety of applications

【同源单词】-er, -er, -er

-er1

suffix forming nouns

Origin

-er2

suffix

Origin

-er1

-er2

-er3

-er4

-er5

-er6

-er7

-er 1-'er (following an abbreviation, or sometimes following a number)

Suffix

Etymology

Usage notes

Derived terms

See also

-er 2

Suffix

Etymology

Derived terms

-er 3

Suffix

Etymology

Derived terms

-er 4

Suffix

Etymology

See also

-er 5

Suffix

Etymology

Usage notes

-er 6

Suffix

Etymology

-er 7

Suffix

Etymology

Synonyms

See also

-er 8

Suffix

Etymology

Derived terms

-er 9

Suffix

Etymology

-er 10

Suffix

Etymology

-er 11

Suffix

Etymology

Usage notes

Coordinate terms

See also

后缀：-er ①[名词后缀]

词根词缀：-er

-er¹

-er²

-er¹

-er²

-er³

-er⁴

-er⁵

-er⁶

-er⁷

-er¹
-'er (following an abbreviation, or sometimes following a number)

-er²

-er³

-er⁴

-er⁵

-er⁶

-er⁷

-er⁸

-er⁹

-er¹⁰

-er¹¹