-er

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 691 words | Copyright

-er4 suffix forming iterative and frequent. vbs.; OE. -(e)rian = OS. -arōn, MLG., MDu. -eren, OHG. -arōn, -irōn (G. -ern), ON. -ra :- Gmc. *-rōjan. There are a few exx. in OE., e.g. claterian CLATTER, flicerian FLICKER, floterian float, hwǣstrian whisper, stam(e)rian STAMMER; to some there are corr. adjs., as gliddrian slip, beside gliddor, slidrian SLITHER, beside sliddor. The number of such words was greatly increased in ME. and later, partly by analogous formations of an echoic or symbolic kind (sometimes from native bases), partly by direct adoption or assimilation of ON. or LG. verbs; e.g. blunder, clamber, glimmer, mutter, *quiver², stagger.

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T. F. HOAD. "-er." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "-er." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-er3.html

T. F. HOAD. "-er." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-er3.html

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