"-ier" meaning in English

See -ier in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Suffix

Etymology: From -y + -er. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|-y|-er|text=+|tree=1}} From -y + -er. Head templates: {{head|en|suffix|cat2=|cat3=|cat4=|head=|id=}} -ier, {{en-suffix}} -ier
  1. spelling of the suffix sequence -y followed by -er, or of any word ending in -(e)y suffixed with -er. Tags: morpheme Related terms: -ied, -iest
    Sense id: en--ier-en-suffix-K7Y2DIAL Categories (other): English entries referencing ambiguous etymons, English entries referencing pages with etymology sections missing etymons, English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -er, English terms suffixed with -y, Pages using catfix, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 10 entries, Pages with entries, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 62 38 Disambiguation of Pages using catfix: 40 20 14 9 9 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 10 entries: 17 11 7 4 4 3 1 0 5 19 9 10 9 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 18 12 7 2 2 2 1 0 5 22 8 11 10 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 24 11 7 7 6 13 20 12
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Suffix

Etymology: From Middle English -ier, -iere from verbs ending in -ien + -ere, later extended to form other nouns (e.g. Middle English clothyer, glasiere, lovier, tiliere). Later reinforced by Middle French and modern French -ier, largely in words more recently borrowed from or influenced by French (e.g. cashier, financier, etc.). Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|-ier}} Middle English -ier, {{m+|enm|clothyer}} Middle English clothyer, {{bor|en|frm|-}} Middle French, {{bor|en|fr|-ier}} French -ier, {{dbt|en|-ar<id:occupation>|-ary|-eer|-yer}} Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer Head templates: {{head|en|suffix|cat2=|cat3=|cat4=|head=|id=}} -ier, {{en-suffix}} -ier
  1. Forming nouns denoting occupations, particularly with words from French. Tags: morpheme
    Sense id: en--ier-en-suffix-en:occupation Categories (other): Pages with 10 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Pages with 10 entries: 17 11 7 4 4 3 1 0 5 19 9 10 9 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 18 12 7 2 2 2 1 0 5 22 8 11 10
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2
{
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "-y",
        "4": "-er",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "From -y + -er.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From -y + -er.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "",
        "cat3": "",
        "cat4": "",
        "head": "",
        "id": ""
      },
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "en-suffix"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing ambiguous etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing pages with etymology sections missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -er",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 20 14 9 9 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using catfix",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 11 7 4 4 3 1 0 5 19 9 10 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 10 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 12 7 2 2 2 1 0 5 22 8 11 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 11 7 7 6 13 20 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dicey → dicier; clayey → clayier; gluey → gluier; happy → happier; scary → scarier; tomatoey → tomatoier"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "spelling of the suffix sequence -y followed by -er, or of any word ending in -(e)y suffixed with -er."
      ],
      "id": "en--ier-en-suffix-K7Y2DIAL",
      "links": [
        [
          "-y",
          "-y#English"
        ],
        [
          "-er",
          "-er#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "-ied"
        },
        {
          "word": "-iest"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-ier"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -ier",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "clothyer"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clothyer",
      "name": "m+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "French -ier",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-ar<id:occupation>",
        "3": "-ary",
        "4": "-eer",
        "5": "-yer"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English -ier, -iere from verbs ending in -ien + -ere, later extended to form other nouns (e.g. Middle English clothyer, glasiere, lovier, tiliere). Later reinforced by Middle French and modern French -ier, largely in words more recently borrowed from or influenced by French (e.g. cashier, financier, etc.). Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "",
        "cat3": "",
        "cat4": "",
        "head": "",
        "id": ""
      },
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "en-suffix"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "17 11 7 4 4 3 1 0 5 19 9 10 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 10 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 12 7 2 2 2 1 0 5 22 8 11 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "clothier, perfumier"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Forming nouns denoting occupations, particularly with words from French."
      ],
      "id": "en--ier-en-suffix-en:occupation",
      "links": [
        [
          "occupation",
          "occupation#English"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:occupation"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-ier"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English doublets",
    "English entries referencing ambiguous etymons",
    "English entries referencing pages with etymology sections missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymon",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English suffixes",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms borrowed from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -er",
    "English terms suffixed with -y",
    "Pages using catfix",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 10 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymon"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "-y",
        "4": "-er",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "From -y + -er.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From -y + -er.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "",
        "cat3": "",
        "cat4": "",
        "head": "",
        "id": ""
      },
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "en-suffix"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "-ied"
    },
    {
      "word": "-iest"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dicey → dicier; clayey → clayier; gluey → gluier; happy → happier; scary → scarier; tomatoey → tomatoier"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "spelling of the suffix sequence -y followed by -er, or of any word ending in -(e)y suffixed with -er."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "-y",
          "-y#English"
        ],
        [
          "-er",
          "-er#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-ier"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English suffixes",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms borrowed from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "Pages using catfix",
    "Pages with 10 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -ier",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "clothyer"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clothyer",
      "name": "m+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "French -ier",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-ar<id:occupation>",
        "3": "-ary",
        "4": "-eer",
        "5": "-yer"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English -ier, -iere from verbs ending in -ien + -ere, later extended to form other nouns (e.g. Middle English clothyer, glasiere, lovier, tiliere). Later reinforced by Middle French and modern French -ier, largely in words more recently borrowed from or influenced by French (e.g. cashier, financier, etc.). Doublet of -ar, -ary, -eer, and -yer.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "",
        "cat3": "",
        "cat4": "",
        "head": "",
        "id": ""
      },
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "-ier",
      "name": "en-suffix"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "clothier, perfumier"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Forming nouns denoting occupations, particularly with words from French."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "occupation",
          "occupation#English"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:occupation"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-ier"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.