-er

See also Appendix:Variations of "er"

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ə/, SAMPA: /@/
• (US) enPR: ər, IPA: /ɚ/, SAMPA: /@`/

Etymology 1

From Middle English -er, -ere, from Old English -ere (agent suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz. The relation of the Proto-Germanic form to the formally and functionally similar Latin -ārius is disputed.^{reference needed} Cognate with Dutch -er, Low German -er, German -er, Swedish -are, Icelandic -ari.

Alternative forms

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

Suffix

-er

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

   reader, cooker, computer, runner-up, do-gooder

2. (added to a noun denoting an occupation) person whose occupation is (the noun).

   astrologer, cricketer, trumpeter

3. (added to a number, measurement or noun denoting a quantified set) person or thing ranked by (the number) or having (the measurement or quantified set).

   sixer, six-footer, three-wheeler, first grader

4. (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)

5. (informal, added to a noun) One who enjoys.

   Tooners lined up for tickets to Toy Story.

Derived terms

• Category:English words derived from: -er Etymology 1
• Category:English words derived from: -er Etymology person/thing

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.

Translations

The translations below are a guide only. For more precise translations, see specific words ending with this suffix.

(used to form agent nouns) person or thing that does...

American Sign Language: OpenB@SideChesthigh-OpenB@SideChesthigh OpenB@SideTrunkhigh-OpenB@SideTrunkhigh Armenian: -իչ (hy) (-ič) Catalan: -er (ca) m., -era (ca) f. Czech: -ič (cs) m., -ač (cs) m., -itel (cs) m., -átor (cs) m., -ec (cs) m. Finnish: -ja (fi), -ari (fi) French: -eur (fr) m., -euse (fr) f. Greek: -άς (el) (-ás) m., -ού (el) (-oú) f. Icelandic: -maður (is) m.

Italian: -ore m. Japanese: 者 (ja) (-sha), 家 (ja) (-ka) Latin: -or (la) m., -rīx (la) f. Portuguese: -dor (pt) m., -dora (pt) f., -dores (pt) pl., -doras (pt) pl. Romanian: -tor m., -toare f. Russian: -тель (ru) Scottish Gaelic: -adair, -air, -aire, -ear, -aiche, -iche Swedish: -re (sv)

person whose occupation is...

American Sign Language: OpenB@SideChesthigh-OpenB@SideChesthigh OpenB@SideTrunkhigh-OpenB@SideTrunkhigh Armenian: -իչ (hy) (-ič) Catalan: -er (ca) m., -era (ca) f. Czech: -ař (cs) m., -ář (cs) m., -íř (cs) m., -ník (cs) m., -ista (cs) m., -ák (cs) m., -ec (cs) m., -ik (cs) m., -log (cs) m., -graf (cs) m., -ér (cs) m., -er (cs) m., -or (cs) m. Finnish: -ja (fi), -ari (fi) French: for players of instruments or games, often translated as joueur m./joueuse f. de followed by the name of the instrument or game played, but some words have specific translations

Greek: -άς (el) (-ás) m., -ού (el) (-oú) f. Italian: (for players of instruments) -ista m./f., (for players of sports) -ista m./f., giocatore m./giocatrice f. di followed by the name of the sport Scottish Gaelic: (for players of sports) -air, -adair Swedish: (for players of instruments) -are (sv), -ist (sv), -spelare (sv); (for players of sports) -spelare (sv)

(with numbers, measurements or quantified sets) ranked by or having...

Czech: -ák (cs) m. Finnish: -inen (fi), -nen (fi) French: translated as <thing> à <number> <components>, <thing> de <number> <units> or <thing> qui a <number> <units> de <dimension>. he's a six-footer — il a six pieds de hauteur

Italian: translated as <thing> ha <number> <components>, <thing> di <number> <units> or <person/thing> chi/che ha <number> <units> de <dimension>. he's a six-footer — ha sei piedi di altezza

Etymology 2

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.

Suffix

-er

1. (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

2. Suffix denoting residency in or around a district, area, or region.

   highlander, eastender

Translations

(used form a demonym) resident or inhabitant of...

American Sign Language: OpenB@SideChesthigh-OpenB@SideChesthigh OpenB@SideTrunkhigh-OpenB@SideTrunkhigh Armenian: -ցի (hy) (-c'i) Catalan: -er (ca) m., -era (ca) f. Czech: -an (cs) m., -ec (cs) m., -ák (cs) m. Dutch: -er (nl) m., -se (nl) f.

Finnish: -lainen (fi) French: often translated as habitant m./habitante f. de followed by the name of the place, but some words have specific translations Japanese: 人 (ja) (-jin) Scottish Gaelic: -ach, -each Swedish: -bo (sv), -are (sv)

Etymology 3

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

Suffix

-er

1. (Forming nouns from Old French and Anglo-Norman) person or thing connected with

   danger, butler

Etymology 4

From Old English -ra, from Proto-Germanic *-izô or Proto-Germanic *-ōzô (a derivative of Etymology 5, below).

Suffix

-er

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

   longer, bigger, faster, sooner, simpler

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 IPA: /ŋ/ by most dialects instead of IPA: /ŋg/. However, when -er or -est is added to an adjective, the /g/ appears.

  long (IPA: /lɒŋ/) → longer (IPA: /ˈlɒŋ.gə(ɹ)/); young (IPA: /jʌŋ/) → youngest (IPA: /ˈjʌŋ.gɪst/)

Translations

used to form the comparative of adjectives

American Sign Language: OpenA@SideChesthigh OpenA@SideNeckhigh Armenian: ավելի (hy) (aveli) Czech: -ejší (cs), -ější (cs), -čí (cs), -ší (cs) Finnish: -mpi (fi) French: plus (used before the adjective) German: -er (de) Hungarian: -bb (hu) Italian: più (used before the adjective)

Latin: -or (la), -ior (la) Macedonian: по- (mk) (po-) Polish: bardziej (used before the adjective) Russian: более, -ее Serbian: -и m., -а f., -е n. Spanish: más (used before the adjective) Swedish: mer (sv) (used before the adjective), -are (sv) Thai: -กว่า (th) (-gwàa)

Etymology 5

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

Suffix

-er

1. (added to certain adverbs) more; used to form the comparative.

Translations

used to form the comparative of adverbs

Czech: -eji (cs), -ěji (cs) Dutch: -er (nl) Finnish: -mpi (fi) French: plus (used before the adverb) German: -er (de)

Italian: più (used before the adverb) Macedonian: по- (mk) (po-) Polish: bardziej (used before the adverb) Spanish: más (used before the adverb) Swedish: mer (sv) (used before the adverb), -are (sv)

Etymology 6

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

Suffix

-er

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

   disclaimer, misnomer

Etymology 7

From Old English -erian, -rian, from Proto-Germanic.

Suffix

-er

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

   twitter, clamber, mutter

Synonyms

• (used to form frequentative): -le

Translations

used to form frequentatives

Finnish: -lla, -llä (fi)

See also

• Frequentative on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:Frequentative

Etymology 8

Originally Rugby School slang.

Suffix

-er

1. Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words.

   soccer, rugger, brekkers, Radder, divvers

Translations

used to form slang equivalents

Finnish: -is (fi)

See also

• -est
• more

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Breton

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛʁ/

Suffix

-er

1. person or thing that (does the action indicated by the root); used to form an agent noun.
   • brezhoneg (“Breton (language)”) > brezhoneger (“Breton-speaker”)
   • c'hoari (“game, to play”) > c'hoarier (“player, actor”)
   • tredan (“electricity”) > tredaner (“electrician”)

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin -arius.

Suffix

-er m.

1. Used to form nouns meaning the location or object where something is usually found.
2. Used to form nouns meaning a plant which is cultivated to produce something.
3. Used to form nouns meaning the purpose of something or an object used for that purpose.

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 m. (feminine -era)

1. Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to an inhabitant of somewhere.
2. Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to engaging in a profession.
3. Used to form nouns and adjectives referring to being prone to some activity or characteristic.

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

• Category:Catalan words suffixed with -er

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Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *-āri, -ere, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, borrowed from Latin -ārius. Cognate with Dutch -aar.

Suffix

-er m. (plural -ers, feminine -ster)

1. appended to the stem of a verb, it yields a noun which signifies the subject who performs the action of that verb (see agent noun)

Derived terms

[+] Dutch words suffixed with -er

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch -iro, -oro, from Proto-Germanic *-izô, *-ōzô.

Suffix

-er

1. appended to an adjective, it yields its comparative form

Derived terms

[+] Dutch adjective comparative forms

Etymology 3

From Old Dutch *-āri (see etymology 1), from Proto-Germanic *warjaz.

Suffix

-er

1. Suffix forming nouns denoting male inhabitants or residents of a place.

   Een Amsterdammer

   A (male) inhabitant of Amsterdam

2. Suffix forming adjectives denoting something originating from a place.

   Het Groninger museum

   The museum of Groningen

Synonyms

• (male inhabitant): -aar
• (origin): -s

Antonyms

• (male inhabitant): -se (“female inhabitant”)

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French

Etymology

Latin -are.

Suffix

-er

1. Forms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs

Usage notes

• Many of these verbs are directly descended from Latin, rather than from stem + suffix

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ɐ]

Etymology

From a suffix, which in Proto-Germanic time was borrowed from Latin -arius. Cognate with English -er, Dutch -er and -aar.

Suffix

-er

1. Forming agent nouns from verbs with the sense of ‘person or thing which does’, suffixed to the first-person singular indicative present form from which the E is dropped.

   arbeiten 'to work'; (ich) arbeit(e) + -er '-er' -> Arbeiter 'worker'

Derived terms

• Arbeiter
• Benutzer
• Berater
• Nutzer
• Teilnehmer
• Trinker

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Middle Dutch

Alternative forms

• -re

Etymology

From Old Dutch -iro, -oro, from Proto-Germanic *-izô, *-ōzô.

Suffix

-er

1. -er. Forms the comparative of adjectives.

Derived terms

See Category:Middle Dutch adjective comparative forms.

Related terms

• -st

Descendants

• Dutch: -er

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Middle French

Etymology

Latin -are.

Suffix

-er

1. Forms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs

Usage notes

• Many of these verbs are directly descended from Latin, rather than from stem + suffix

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Old English

Suffix

-er

1. Alternative form of -or.

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Old French

Alternative forms

• -ier

Etymology

Latin -āre

Suffix

-er

1. suffix used to form infinitives of first conjugation verbs

See also

• Appendix:Old French verbs
• -ir

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Portuguese

Suffix

-er

1. The infinitive of the second class (-er class) of verbs.

Conjugation

  Conjugation of the Portuguese -er verb -er

Notes:

• This is a regular verb of the -er group.
• Verbs with this conjugation include: comer, mexer, temer, varrer, vender.

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	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
Present participle
	-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	-a	-e	-a	-amos	-ei	-am
Negative (não)	-a	-as	-a	-amos	-ais	-am

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin -ere

Suffix

-er

1. The infinitive suffix for many verbs.

Conjugation

See: Appendix:Spanish verbs in -er

See also

• -ar
• -ir

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Swedish

Suffix

-er

1. One of two suffices for indefinite plural for nouns of the third declension (common and neuter); the second one is -r
2. Suffix for present tense, active voice, indicative mood for one of the groups of Swedish verbs

See also

plural suffix

• -or
• -ar
• -r
• -n

present tense suffix

• -r (-ar)
• -as

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Turkish

Suffix

-er

1. Added to verbs to form nouns with the sense of "person or thing which does the verb".

   Example: kes = cut, keser = kes-er = adz or adze