-er
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ə/
- (General American) enPR: ər, IPA(key): /ɚ/
- Homophones: -or, -a (in non-rhotic accents)
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English -ere, -er, from Middle English -ere, from Old English -ere, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, usually thought to have been borrowed from Latin -ārius. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -er, West Frisian -er, Dutch -er, German Low German -er, German -er, Danish -er, Swedish -are, Icelandic -ari.
Compare the synonymous but unrelated Old French -or, -eor (Anglo-Norman variant -our), from Latin -(ā)tor, from Proto-Indo-European *-tōr.
Alternative forms
- -'er (following an abbreviation, or sometimes following a number)
Suffix
-er
- (added to verbs) A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.
- Antonym: -ee
- read + -er → reader
- cook + -er → cooker
- compute + -er → computer
- run + -er → runner
- toast + -er → toaster
- swim + -er → swimmer
- do good + -er → do-gooder
- (added to verbs, informal) A person or thing to which the root verb is done or can be done satisfactorily.
- look + -er → looker (“an attractive person”)
- keep + -er → keeper (“a person or thing worth keeping”)
- (added to nouns, chiefly denoting occupations) A person whose occupation is the root noun; (more broadly, occasionally with adjectives) a person characterized by the root.
- astrology + -er → astrologer
- baby boom + -er → baby boomer
- conlang + -er → conlanger
- cricket + -er → cricketer
- trumpet + -er → trumpeter
- zine + -er → ziner
- (added to numbers, measurements or nouns denoting quantified sets) A person or thing to which a certain number or measurement applies.
- six + -er → sixer
- six foot + -er → six-footer
- three-wheel + -er → three-wheeler
- first grade + -er → first grader
- (slang, chiefly entertainment, with few limitations) Used to form nouns shorter than more formal synonyms.
- percent + -er → percenter (“commission agent”)
- one hand + -er → one-hander (“one-man show”)
- oat + -er → oater (“a Western-themed movie”)
- (added to nouns) A person who is associated with, or supports a particular theory, doctrine, or political movement.
- anti-vax + -er → anti-vaxxer
- birth + -er → birther
- flat earth + -er → flat-earther
- truth + -er → truther
- woke + -er → woker
- (added to nouns or occasionally adjectives, generally) A thing that is related in some way to the root, such as by location or purpose.
- bacon + -er → baconer (“pig raised for bacon”)
- chocolate chip + -er → chocolate chipper (“cookie containing chocolate chips”)
- sternwheel + -er → sternwheeler (“vessel driven by a sternwheel”)
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 occupational sense is often applied generally to members of a group, as in crewer (“a member of a crew”) and Z-lister (“one on the Z-list”); fans and hobbyists, as in K-popper (“a fan of K-pop”), and those who use a particular tool or instrument, as in JavaScripter (“a programmer who uses JavaScript”).
- The entertainment slang sense is sometimes referred to as the Variety -er.
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below are a guide only. For more precise translations, see specific words ending with this suffix.
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See also
- -eer
Etymology 2
From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ware (suffix denoting residency or meaning "inhabitant of"), from Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“defender, inhabitant”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”).
Suffix
-er
- (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 York + -er → New Yorker
- London + -er → Londoner
- Dublin + -er → Dubliner
- New England + -er → New Englander
- Suffix denoting residency in or around a place, district, area, or region.
- island + -er → islander
- highland + -er → highlander
- eastend + -er → eastender
Derived terms
Translations
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Etymology 3
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
-er
- (obsolete, no longer productive) Suffix used to form the plural of a small number of English nouns.
- childer, calver, lamber, linder ("loins")
Derived terms
- -ren
Etymology 4
From Middle English -er, representing various noun-suffixes in Old French and Anglo-Norman, variously -er, -ier and -ieur, from Latin -aris, -arius, -atorium. As a productive suffix, now merged with the occupational sense of Etymology 1.
Suffix
-er
- Person or thing connected with.
- bottle + -er → butler
See also
- -eer
Etymology 5
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 6, below); related to superlative -est.
Suffix
-er
- (added to certain adjectives and adverbs, now especially short ones) More; used to form the comparative.
- long + -er → longer
- big + -er → bigger
- fast + -er → faster
- simple + -er → simpler
Usage notes
- (more; used to form the comparative): Most 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 or more syllables.
- hot → hotter → hottest; fast → faster → fastest; funny → funnier → funniest; sugary → sugarier → sugariest
- 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 or more syllables, 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.
- Final -y preceded by a consonant becomes -i- when the suffix -er or -est is added.
- 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/)
Translations
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Etymology 6
From Middle English -er, from Old English -or, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀ, Proto-Germanic *-ōz.
Suffix
-er
- (added to certain adverbs) More; used to form the comparative.
Translations
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Etymology 7
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
-er
- (added to a verb or imitative sound) Frequently; used to form frequentative verbs.
- twitter, clamber, bicker, mutter, wander, flutter, flicker, slither, smother, sputter
Synonyms
- (used to form frequentative): -le
Translations
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See also
Frequentative on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 8
From Middle English -er, from Anglo-Norman -er, Old French -er, the infinitive verbal ending.
Suffix
-er
- (added to a verb) Instance of (the verbal action); used to form nouns from verbs, especially in legal terms.
- disclaim + -er → disclaimer
- remit + -er → remitter
- misname + -er → misnomer
- rebut + -er → rebutter
Derived terms
Etymology 9
From Middle English -er, -ere (diminutive suffix). Compare -el.
Suffix
-er
- (added to a verb or noun) Used to form diminutives.
- shive + -er → shiver
- slive + -er → sliver
- splint + -er → splinter
Etymology 10
Attested in the UK since the 19th century. Originally Rugby School slang. Later adopted by Oxford University and then wider British society.
Suffix
-er
- (originally school slang) Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words.
- association + -er → soccer (“association football”)
- football + -er → footer (“association football”)
- rugby + -er → rugger
- Radcliffe + -er → Radder (“a building at Oxford University”)
Derived terms
- -zza
Related terms
- -ers
Translations
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Etymology 11
From Middle English -er, from Old English -er, -or, from Proto-Germanic *-raz. Compare -le.
Suffix
-er
- (now chiefly dialectal) 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”)
- slip + -er → slipper (“tending to make slip, slippery”)
- wake + -er → waker (“tending to wake, watchful”)
Synonyms
- -le
Etymology 12
From Chinese -兒/-儿 (-ér).
Suffix
-er
- (fiction) Junior, child, younger person. (Attached to a name, usually a portion of the given name.) (Can we add an example for this sense?)
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)
See also
- -ed (verb to adjective)
- -eer
- -ee (subject of action)
- -ess, -ress, -rix (feminine noun extension form)
- -est (comparative)
- -ing (verb to noun)
- more (comparative)
- -or
References
- -er at OneLook Dictionary Search
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “-er”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
- 're, RE, Re, Ré, r.e., re, re-
Afrikaans
Etymology
From Dutch -er.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Suffix
-er
- -er
Bavarian
Etymology
From Middle High German -er, from Old High German -ari, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī. Cognates include German -er and Luxembourgish -er.
Pronunciation
- (Vienna) IPA(key): /-a/
Suffix
-er
- Used to form agent nouns from verbs; -er
Derived terms
Breton
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛʁ/
Suffix
-er
- person or thing that (does the action indicated by the root); used to form an agent noun.
- brezhoneg (“Breton (language)”) + -er → brezhoneger (“Breton-speaker”)
- c'hoari (“game; to play”) + -er → c'hoarier (“player, actor”)
- tredan (“electricity”) + -er → tredaner (“electrician”)
Derived terms
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin -ārius. Compare the borrowed doublet -ari.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /ˈ-e/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈ-eɾ/
Suffix
-er m (plural -ers)
- Used to form nouns meaning the location or object where something is usually found.
- vespa (“wasp”) + -er → vesper (“wasp nest”)
- Used to form nouns meaning a plant which is cultivated to produce something.
- garrofa (“carob”) + -er → garrofer (“carob tree”)
- Used to form nouns meaning the purpose of something or an object used for that purpose.
- tovallola (“towel”) + -er → tovalloler (“towel rail”)
Usage notes
The equivalent suffix -era can be used to form feminine nouns with these meanings, but usually only the masculine or feminine form will be found in Catalan.
Suffix
-er (feminine -era, masculine plural -ers, feminine plural -eres)
- Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to an inhabitant of somewhere.
- Brasil (“Brazil”) + -er → brasiler (“Brazilian”)
- Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to engaging in a profession.
- camió (“truck”) + -er → camioner (“truck driver”)
- Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to being prone to some activity or characteristic.
- mentida (“lie”) + -er → mentider (“liar, deceptive”)
- Used to form relational adjectives.
- llet (“milk”) + -er → lleter (“milk [relational adjective], dairy”)
- pel·lícula (“film”) + -er → pel·liculer (“film [relational adjective], filmic, cinematic”)
Usage notes
Because these senses are used to form adjectives of two forms or nouns referring to animate objects, both the masculine and feminine forms will be found in Catalan, with the lemma entry found at the masculine form.
See also
- -dor
Derived terms
Chuukese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɛɾ/
Suffix
-er
- (added to possessive nouns) their
- (added to verbs as an indirect object) them
Related terms
Small objects, concepts | Large objects, living things | Suffix | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | First person | ai | nei | -ei |
Second person | omw, om | noum | -om | |
Third person | an | noun | -an | |
Plural | First person | äm (exclusive) ach (inclusive) | nöu̇m (exclusive) nöüch (inclusive) | -em (exclusive) -ach (inclusive) |
Second person | ämi, ami | noumi | -emi | |
Third person | ar | nour | -er |
Danish
Suffix
-er
- Forms agent nouns from verbs, with the sense "someone or something that [verb]s".
- Forms plural forms of many nouns.
- Forms the present tense of many verbs.
- Forms demonyms.
- Berlin + -er → berliner
- Paris + -er → pariser
- Forms informal action nouns from verbs.
- (especially definite) Forms informal abbreviations of nouns, with elision.
- hotdog + -er → hotter
- fjernsyn (“television”) + -er → fjerner
- Forms a piece of currency from numbers.
- fem (“five”) + -er → femmer (“fiver, five pounds/dollars/kroner/etc.”)
- Forms a die throw result from numbers.
- Du skal slå mindst en treer for at komme videre.
- You must throw at least a three to move on.
Usage notes
Senses 1 and 3 often lead to heteronymic pairs. For example, from løbe (“run”) [ˈløːb̥ə] comes løber (“runs”) [ˈløːˀb̥ɐ] (verb form) and løber (“runner”) [ˈløːb̥ɐ] (noun), distinguished by stød.
Derived terms
Dutch
Alternative forms
- -der
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ər/
Etymology 1
From Old Dutch *-āri, -ere, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, borrowed from Latin -ārius. Cognate with Dutch -aar.[1]
Suffix
-er m (plural -ers, feminine -ster)
- Forms agent nouns from verbs.
- hoeden + -er → hoeder
- spelen + -er → speler
- Synonym: -aar
- Forms nouns for a person associated with something.
- schip + -er → schipper
Derived terms
Descendants
- Afrikaans: -er
Etymology 2
From Old Dutch *-āri, -ere, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz.
Suffix
-er
- Forms nouns denoting male inhabitants or residents of a place.
- Een Amsterdammer
- A (male) inhabitant of Amsterdam
- Synonym: -aar
- Een Amsterdammer
- Formings adjectives denoting something originating from a place.
- Het Groninger museum
- The museum of Groningen
- Synonym: -s
- Het Groninger museum
Antonyms
- (male inhabitant): -se (“female inhabitant”)
Etymology 3
From Old Dutch -iro, -oro, from Proto-Germanic *-izô, *-ōzô.
Suffix
-er
- Forms the comparative form of adjectives.
Derived terms
References
- A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, →ISBN; § 175
French
Etymology 1
Mainly from Latin -āre; however, the descendants of some Latin -ēre verbs also became -er verbs in French.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /e/
Suffix
-er
- forms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
Usage notes
- Many of these verbs are directly descended from Latin, rather than from stem + suffix.
- In newly formed verbs, this suffix may be preceded by a euphonic consonant /t/ after a base ending in an oral vowel to avoid hiatus. In verbs formed from bases ending in nasal vowels, /n/ is inserted and the nasal vowel is denasalized:
- agio (“agio”) + -er → agioter (“to speculate”)
- blabla (“chit-chat”) + -er → blablater (“to chit-chat”)
- bourdon (“bumblebee; drone”) + -er → bourdonner (“to buzz, drone”)
Conjugation
infinitive | simple | -er | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
present participle or gerund1 | simple | -ant /ɑ̃/ | |||||
compound | ayant + past participle | ||||||
past participle | -é /e/ | ||||||
singular | plural | ||||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
(simple tenses) | present | -e /ə/ | -es /ə/ | -e /ə/ | -ons /ɔ̃/ | -ez /e/ | -ent /ə/ |
imperfect | -ais /ɛ/ | -ais /ɛ/ | -ait /ɛ/ | -ions /jɔ̃/ | -iez /je/ | -aient /ɛ/ | |
past historic2 | -ai /e/ | -as /a/ | -a /a/ | -âmes /am/ | -âtes /at/ | -èrent /ɛʁ/ | |
future | -erai /ə.ʁe/ | -eras /ə.ʁa/ | -era /ə.ʁa/ | -erons /ə.ʁɔ̃/ | -erez /ə.ʁe/ | -eront /ə.ʁɔ̃/ | |
conditional | -erais /ə.ʁɛ/ | -erais /ə.ʁɛ/ | -erait /ə.ʁɛ/ | -erions /ə.ʁjɔ̃/ | -eriez /ə.ʁje/ | -eraient /ə.ʁɛ/ | |
(compound tenses) | present perfect | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
past anterior2 | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
(simple tenses) | present | -e /ə/ | -es /ə/ | -e /ə/ | -ions /jɔ̃/ | -iez /je/ | -ent /ə/ |
imperfect2 | -asse /as/ | -asses /as/ | -ât /a/ | -assions /a.sjɔ̃/ | -assiez /a.sje/ | -assent /as/ | |
(compound tenses) | past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
imperative | – | – | – | ||||
simple | — | -e /ə/ | — | -ons /ɔ̃/ | -ez /e/ | — | |
compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). |
Etymology 2
From Latin -āre.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /e/
Suffix
-er m (plural -ers)
- forms nouns indicating the person who exercises a particular activity
Derived terms
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ɐ]
Etymology 1
From Middle High German -ære, -er, from Old High German -āri, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, from Latin -ārius.[1]
Suffix
-er m (strong, genitive -ers, plural -er)
- Forms agent nouns etc. from verbs, suffixed to the verb stem.
- arbeiten (“to work”) + -er → Arbeiter (“worker”)
- bohren (“to drill”) + -er → Bohrer (“drill”)
- indicating something defined by a number; in the plural often all numbers with the same first digits
- 16 + -er → 16er (“the 16, the 16er, e.g. a bus, a football player, etc.”)
- 200 + -er → 200er (“200s, e.g. several 200-euro notes, or the list items 200 to 299, etc.”)
- 1990 + -er → 1990er (“1990s, the years 1990 to 1999”)
Declension
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | -er | die | -er |
genitive | eines | des | -ers | der | -er |
dative | einem | dem | -er | den | -ern |
accusative | einen | den | -er | die | -er |
Derived terms
Related terms
- -ler
Etymology 2
From Middle High German -er, a plural ending for some neuter nouns.
Suffix
-er
- Used to form the plurals of some nouns.
Usage notes
- The plural ending -er is used in a fairly large number of neuters (including all those in -tum) and a small number of masculines.
Etymology 3
From Middle High German -ære, -er, from Old High German -āri, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz.
Suffix
-er m (strong, genitive -ers, plural -er)
- Forms nouns indicating an inhabitant of a place, or a person originating from a place.
Declension
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | -er | die | -er |
genitive | eines | des | -ers | der | -er |
dative | einem | dem | -er | den | -ern |
accusative | einen | den | -er | die | -er |
Derived terms
Etymology 4
Probably originated from the prepositioned genitive plural, e.g.: der Berliner Pfannkuchen = "the Berliners’ pancake", and then "the Berlin(er) pancake", reanalysed as an adjective instead of a noun and seen as being in the nominative singular due to the ambiguity of the definite article der since the masculine nominative singular and the genitive plural forms of the definite article are homophonous.[2][3]
Suffix
-er
- Forms invariable adjectives from place names, with a genitival meaning, indicating origin from or association with that place.
Usage notes
- In contemporary German, words formed with this suffix -er are written with a capital letter (§ 61 of the official reform spelling rules as of 2006 (and also 2011, 2017, 2018)), e.g. ein Berliner Pfannkuchen. In the past, they were sometimes written with a lowercase letter like most other adjectives, e.g. ein berliner Pfannkuchen.[4]
- In case of placenames which are written with a space, the derived word can be written with a space or with a hyphen (§ 49 of the official reform spelling rules as of 2011), e.g. Bad Schandau → Bad Schandauer or Bad-Schandauer.
Derived terms
Etymology 5
From Middle High German -er.
Suffix
-er
- Forms the comparative form of adjectives.
- lang + -er → länger
- schön + -er → schöner
- exakt + -er → exakter
References
- A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, →ISBN; § 175
- Johann Christoph Adelung, Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart, vol. 1 (Leipzig, 1793), pages 1848-1852, sub verbo 4. -Er
- Hermann Möller, Ahd. frôno (nhd. fron-) als elliptischer Plural, in the Zeitschrift für deutsche Wortforschung, volume 4 (editor Friedrich Kluge; Straßburg, 1903), page 95
- The current official spelling rules prescribe the capital letter without further explanation and without indicating the part of speech of the words formed with the suffix (compare -isch/-sch, derivatives of which are labelled adjectives in § 62).
Hungarian
Etymology
Possibly from English -er, by analogy of word pairs like blog and blogger (whose doubled final consonant is consistently pronounced long in Hungarian, as opposed to English) and/or perhaps earlier borrowed word pairs like stop and stoppol. Other existing slang terms ending in -er, like vaker, haver, sóder, might have played some role. (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ɛr]
Suffix
-er
- (slang, slightly derogatory) Added to a shortened form of a noun, lengthening the first consonant following its first vowel, to derive a noun.
- kalauz (“ticket inspector”) → kaller
- nyugdíjas (“pensioner”) → nyugger
- mami (“mommy; elderly woman”) → mammer
- jobboldali (“rightist”) → jobber
Derived terms
See also
- -esz (as in alkesz, pálesz; slang terms)
- Appendix:Hungarian suffixes
Further reading
- A szavak megoszlása az élő nyelvhasználathoz viszonyítva. Section: Formai neologizmusok (Judit Szépe, linguist)
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /er/, [ɛr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /er/, [ɛr]
Suffix
-er
- first-person singular present passive subjunctive of -ō (first conjugation)
Luxembourgish
Etymology
From a Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, from Latin -ārius.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /eʀ/, [ɐ]
Suffix
-er
- -er (suffix used to form agent nouns from verbs)
Derived terms
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch -iro, -oro, from Proto-Germanic *-izô, *-ōzô.
Suffix
-er
- -er. Forms the comparative of adjectives.
Alternative forms
- -re
Derived terms
See Category:Middle Dutch adjective comparative forms.
Related terms
- -st
Descendants
- Dutch: -er
Middle French
Alternative forms
- -ier (typically early Middle French)
Etymology 1
From Old French -ier, -er, from Latin -are.
Suffix
-er
- Forms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
Usage notes
- Many of these verbs are directly descended from Latin, rather than from stem + suffix
Descendants
- French: -ier
Etymology 2
From Old French -ier.
Suffix
-er
- Forms nouns, often denoting professions
- boucher
- butcher
Descendants
- French: -ier
- → English: -eer
Norman
Suffix
-er
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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.
Derived terms
Northern Kurdish
Suffix
-er
- Used to form nouns referring to doer or who works on something.
- bû (“to be”) + -er → bûyer (“event”)
- destpêkirin (“to start”) + -er → destpêker (“starter”)
Derived terms
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norse -ari, from Medieval Latin and Middle Low German words, both from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, from Latin -ārius.
Suffix
-er
- (added to verbs) person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb
- (added to place names) person or thing that originates in the place indicated by the place name
- (added to numbers) order, position, value or similar indicated by the numeral
Derived terms
References
- “-er” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Suffix
-er
- Used to form indefinite plurals for most feminine nouns.
- Used to form indefinite plurals for some masculine nouns.
- Used to form present tense for one class of weak verbs.
- (obsolete) Used to form present tense for strong verbs.
Old English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /er/
Suffix
-er
- Alternative form of -or
Old French
Etymology 1
From Latin -āre.
Suffix
-er
- Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix
Usage notes
- All varieties of Old French use -er but it's more common in Anglo-Norman than in France, specifically before certain consonants such as c and g.
Etymology 2
From Latin -ārius.
Suffix
-er
- (chiefly Anglo-Norman) Alternative form of -ier, suffix indicating a profession
- falconer, fauconer
- falconer
Old Frisian
Alternative forms
- -ere
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *iʀ, from Proto-Germanic *iz, from Proto-Indo-European *ís. Cognates include Old High German er, Old Norse er and Gothic 𐌹𐍃 (is).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈer/
Pronoun
-er
- enclitic nominative of hī
Descendants
- Saterland Frisian: er
- West Frisian: er
Old Swedish
Etymology
From Old Norse -r.
Suffix
-er
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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.- fisker
- fish
- dø̄ver
- deaf
Polish
Alternative forms
- -
Etymology
Internationalism; compare English -er.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛr/
- Rhymes: -ɛr
- Syllabification: er
Suffix
-er m
- -er, creates an agent noun
- aport + -er → aporter
Declension
Animate:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | -er | -erzy |
genitive | -era | -erów |
dative | -erowi | -erom |
accusative | -era | -erów |
instrumental | -erem | -erami |
locative | -erze | -erach |
vocative | -erze | -erzy |
Animal:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | -er | -ery |
genitive | -era | -erów |
dative | -erowi | -erom |
accusative | -era | -ery |
instrumental | -erem | -erami |
locative | -erze | -erach |
vocative | -erze | -ery |
Inanimate:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | -er | -ery |
genitive | -eru | -erów |
dative | -erowi | -erom |
accusative | -er | -ery |
instrumental | -erem | -erami |
locative | -erze | -erach |
vocative | -erze | -ery |
Derived terms
Further reading
- -er in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- -er in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Portuguese
Etymology
From Old Portuguese -er, from Latin -ēre. The short -ere of some Latin verbs was reinterpreted as either -er or -ir.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈe(ʁ)/ [ˈe(h)]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /ˈe(ɾ)/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ˈe(ʁ)/ [ˈe(χ)]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈe(ɻ)/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈeɾ/
- (Caipira) IPA(key): [ˈe(ɻ)]
- (Rio de Janeiro, Nordestino) IPA(key): [ˈe(ʁ)]
Suffix
-er (verb-forming suffix, first-person singular present -o, first-person singular preterite -i, past participle -ido)
- (non-productive) forms the infinitive of the second-conjugation verbs
Conjugation
Singular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First-person (eu) | Second-person (tu) | Third-person (ele / ela / você) | First-person (nós) | Second-person (vós) | Third-person (eles / elas / vocês) | |
Infinitive | ||||||
Impersonal | -er | |||||
Personal | -er | -eres | -er | -ermos | -erdes | -erem |
Gerund | ||||||
-endo | ||||||
Past participle | ||||||
Masculine | -ido | -idos | ||||
Feminine | -ida | -idas | ||||
Indicative | ||||||
Present | -o | -es | -e | -emos | -eis | -em |
Imperfect | -ia | -ias | -ia | -íamos | -íeis | -iam |
Preterite | -i | -este | -eu | -emos | -estes | -eram |
Pluperfect | -era | -eras | -era | -êramos | -êreis | -eram |
Future | -erei | -erás | -erá | -eremos | -ereis | -erão |
Conditional | ||||||
-eria | -erias | -eria | -eríamos | -eríeis | -eriam | |
Subjunctive | ||||||
Present | -a | -as | -a | -amos | -ais | -am |
Imperfect | -esse | -esses | -esse | -êssemos | -êsseis | -essem |
Future | -er | -eres | -er | -ermos | -erdes | -erem |
Imperative | ||||||
Affirmative | -e | -a | -amos | -ei | -am | |
Negative (não) | não -as | não -a | não -amos | não -ais | não -am |
Saterland Frisian
Etymology
From Old Frisian -ere, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī. Cognates include West Frisian -er and German -er.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /-ər/
Suffix
-er
- Forms agent nouns from verbs; -er
Declension
Scots
Etymology
From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ere.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /-ər/
Suffix
-er
- Forms agent nouns from verbs; -er
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin -ēre.
Suffix
-er (first-person singular present -o, first-person singular preterite -í, past participle -ido)
- the infinitive suffix for many verbs
Conjugation
infinitive | -er | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gerund | -iendo | ||||||
past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
singular | -ido | -ida | |||||
plural | -idos | -idas | |||||
singular | plural | ||||||
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
indicative | yo | tú vos | él/ella/ello usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | -o | -estú -ésvos | -e | -emos | -éis | -en | |
imperfect | -ía | -ías | -ía | -íamos | -íais | -ían | |
preterite | -í | -iste | -ió | -imos | -isteis | -ieron | |
future | -eré | -erás | -erá | -eremos | -eréis | -erán | |
conditional | -ería | -erías | -ería | -eríamos | -eríais | -erían | |
subjunctive | yo | tú vos | él/ella/ello usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | -a | -astú -ásvos2 | -a | -amos | -áis | -an | |
imperfect (ra) | -iera | -ieras | -iera | -iéramos | -ierais | -ieran | |
imperfect (se) | -iese | -ieses | -iese | -iésemos | -ieseis | -iesen | |
future1 | -iere | -ieres | -iere | -iéremos | -iereis | -ieren | |
imperative | — | tú vos | usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ustedes | |
affirmative | -etú -évos | -a | -amos | -ed | -an | ||
negative | no -as | no -a | no -amos | no -áis | no -an |
1Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
2Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
See also
- -ar
- -ir
- Appendix:Spanish verbs in -er
Swedish
Suffix
-er
- One of two suffixes for indefinite plural for nouns of the third declension (common and neuter); the second one is -r
- Suffix for present tense, active voice, indicative mood for one of the groups of Swedish verbs
- Agent noun suffix, often for loan words ending with -ik.
- matematik (“mathematics”) + -er → matematiker (“mathematician”)
- fysik (“physics”) + -er → fysiker (“physicist”)
- slarv (“sloppiness, carelessness”) + -er → slarver (“someone sloppy or careless”)
See also
- plural suffix
- -or
- -ar
- -r
- -n
- present tense suffix
- -r (-ar)
- -as
- agent noun suffix
- -are
- -erska
- -inna
Anagrams
- -re, re-
Turkish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈær/
Etymology 1
Inherited from Ottoman Turkish ـر (-r, -er), from Proto-Turkic *-ür. Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰼 (r² /-(e)r/). Negative -mez are from Proto-Turkic *-meŕ, from Proto-Turkic *-me + *-er or *-ür (Azerbaijani -ər (“indefinite future suffix”) — -məz, but -ir (“simple present suffix”) — -mir).
Suffix
-er
- Simple present and aorist tense marker
Suffix
-er -mez
- as soon as
- Eve gelir gelmez duş alırım.
- As soon as I get home, I take a shower.
Usage notes
- Can change to -ir (almak → alır, but içmek → içer). There are some rules governing the usage of -er/ir, the former is used in case of monosyllabic stems, while the latter is used elsewhere; with the exceptions of 14 verbs below which uses -ir on the aorist
- almak — alır
- bilmek — bilir
- bulmak — bulur
- denmek — denir
- durmak — durur
- gelmek — gelir
- görmek — görür
- kalmak — kalır
- olmak — olur
- ölmek — ölür
- sanmak — sanır
- varmak — varır
- vermek — verir
- vurmak — vurur
The suffix -r is used after verb stems ending in a vowel. Unlike most negations of tense suffixes which regularly uses the suffix -me, negative aorist suffix is -mez instead of *-mer.
Derived terms
Related terms
- -r
- -ar
- -ir
- -mez
Suffix
-er
- Makes adjectives out of verbs
- Makes nouns out of verbs
- kes- (“to cut”) + -er → keser (“adze”)
- Yağmur diner gibi oldu. ― The rain seems to be stopping.
Etymology 3
Inherited from Ottoman Turkish ـر (-er), from Proto-Turkic [Term?].
Suffix
preceding vowel | ||
---|---|---|
A / I / O / U | E / İ / Ö / Ü | |
postconsonantal | -ar | -er |
postvocalic | -şar | -şer |
-er
- suffix for distributive numbers
- bir + -er → birer
- iki + -er → ikişer
- dört + -er → dörder
- beş + -er → beşer
Derived terms
Welsh
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛr/
Suffix
-er
- (literary) verb suffix for the impersonal present subjunctive
- (literary) verb suffix for the impersonal imperative