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In English, the -er suffix can signify:

• an agent noun, e.g., "singer".
• a degree of comparison, e.g., "noisier".

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Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

English

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

Middle English -er, -ere, a coalescence of Old English -ere (agent suffix applied to nouns, cf O.E. fuglere (“‘fowler’”) from fugol (“‘fowl, bird’”)) from Proto-Germanic -arjaz from Latin -arius ; a rhotacized form of O.E. -a (agent suffix applied to verbs, cf O.E. hunta (“‘hunter’”) from huntan (“‘to hunt’”); brytta (“‘dispenser, giver, distributor’”) from bryttian (“‘to dispense, apportion, distribute’”)); and O.E. -ware, -waras, -waran (suffix applied to placenames indicating residency, origin, or ethnicity, cf O.E. burgware (“‘citizens, burghers’”), Lundenware (“‘Londoners’”)) from Proto-Gmc *-warioz. Akin to O.H.G. -āri (“‘dwellers of’”), O.E. wer (“‘man’”).

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

   New Yorker

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

   astrologer, cricketer, trumpeter

4. (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

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).

Translations

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

Etymology 2

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 3

From Old English -ra, from Proto-Germanic *-izon or Proto-Germanic *-ōzon (a derivative of Etymology 4, below).

Suffix

-er

1. (added to certain adjectives, 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; gay → gayer → gayest

  • 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.

Translations

Etymology 4

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

Suffix

-er

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

Translations

Etymology 5

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 6

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

Etymology 7

Originally Rugby School slang.

Suffix

-er

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

   soccer, rugger, brekkers

See also

• -est
• more

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

Dutch

Etymology

From a suffix, which in Proto-Germanic time was borrowed from Latin -arius. Cognate with Dutch -aar.^[1]

Suffix

-er n. (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)

-er (inflected -ere)

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

Derived terms

appended to the stem of a verb

appended to an adjective

References

• Notes:

1. ^ A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, ISBN 90-03-21170-1; § 175

French

Suffix

-er

1. The infinitive ending for many verbs.
   • See: Appendix:French verbs in -er

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.^[1]

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'

Usage notes

• If suffixed to the verb sein "be", it takes the first-person singular subjunctive present form sei.

References

• Notes:

1. ^ A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, ISBN 90-03-21170-1; § 175

Old English

Suffix

-er

1. Alternative form of -or.

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

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

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

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