DictionaryRoot: -ier
Old French
-ier
a person associated with an activity or thing
Forms
- -ier
- -er — Some English descendants shortened or respelled the ending.
Origin
French -ier developed from Latin -arius.
Note
It can name an occupation or another sustained association, depending on the base.
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noun
gardener
GAHRD-ner/ˈɡɑːrdnər/
A person who grows and cares for plants in a garden.
Etymology
The garden base referred especially to a kitchen garden, while the ending identifies a person associated with it. Together they name someone whose work is growing and caring for cultivated plants.