"-er" meaning in Middle English

See -er in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Suffix

IPA: /-ˈeːr/, /-ər/ Forms: -eer [alternative], -ere [alternative], -ier [alternative], -ir [alternative], -yr [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French -ier, from Latin -ārius. Etymology templates: {{etymid|enm|agentive}}, {{bor+|enm|fro|-ier}} Borrowed from Old French -ier, {{der|enm|la|-ārius}} Latin -ārius Head templates: {{head|enm|suffix|cat2=noun-forming suffixes}} -er
  1. (chiefly no longer productive) Reflects Old French deverbal formations forming agent or instrument nouns. Tags: idiomatic, morpheme
    Sense id: en--er-enm-suffix-3He0Q081 Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 39 18 18 16 8
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Suffix

Head templates: {{head|enm|suffix|altform=1}} -er
  1. alternative form of -ere (agentive suffix) Tags: alt-of, alternative, morpheme Alternative form of: -ere (extra: agentive suffix)
    Sense id: en--er-enm-suffix-sP1ewMP8
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Suffix

Head templates: {{head|enm|suffix|altform=1}} -er
  1. alternative form of -ere (comparative suffix) Tags: alt-of, alternative, morpheme Alternative form of: -ere (extra: comparative suffix)
    Sense id: en--er-enm-suffix-E8vuysHF
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Suffix

Head templates: {{head|enm|suffix|altform=1}} -er
  1. alternative form of -re (plural suffix) Tags: alt-of, alternative, morpheme Alternative form of: -re (extra: plural suffix)
    Sense id: en--er-enm-suffix-rhCokOOi
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 4

Suffix

Head templates: {{head|enm|suffix|altform=1}} -er
  1. alternative form of -eren Tags: alt-of, alternative, morpheme Alternative form of: -eren
    Sense id: en--er-enm-suffix-34vRSdVb
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 5

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "-er",
            "id": "agentive",
            "qq": "conflated with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">-ere</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "English: -er (conflated with -ere)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: -er (conflated with -ere)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "gmw-msc",
            "2": "-er",
            "3": "-ar"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle Scots: -er, -ar",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle Scots: -er, -ar"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "-er",
            "qq": "conflated with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">-ere</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: -er (conflated with -ere)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: -er (conflated with -ere)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "agentive"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French -ier",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-ārius"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -ārius",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French -ier, from Latin -ārius.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "-eer",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ier",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-yr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "noun-forming suffixes"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "39 18 18 16 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Reflects Old French deverbal formations forming agent or instrument nouns."
      ],
      "id": "en--er-enm-suffix-3He0Q081",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly no longer productive) Reflects Old French deverbal formations forming agent or instrument nouns."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/-ˈeːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ər/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "agentive suffix",
          "word": "-ere"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -ere (agentive suffix)"
      ],
      "id": "en--er-enm-suffix-sP1ewMP8",
      "links": [
        [
          "-ere",
          "-ere#Middle_English:_agentive"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "comparative suffix",
          "word": "-ere"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -ere (comparative suffix)"
      ],
      "id": "en--er-enm-suffix-E8vuysHF",
      "links": [
        [
          "-ere",
          "-ere#Middle_English:_comparative"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 4,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "plural suffix",
          "word": "-re"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -re (plural suffix)"
      ],
      "id": "en--er-enm-suffix-rhCokOOi",
      "links": [
        [
          "-re",
          "-re#Middle_English:_plural"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 5,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "-eren"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -eren"
      ],
      "id": "en--er-enm-suffix-34vRSdVb",
      "links": [
        [
          "-eren",
          "-eren#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English noun-forming suffixes",
    "Middle English suffixes",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Pages using catfix",
    "Pages with 35 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "-er",
            "id": "agentive",
            "qq": "conflated with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">-ere</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "English: -er (conflated with -ere)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: -er (conflated with -ere)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "gmw-msc",
            "2": "-er",
            "3": "-ar"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle Scots: -er, -ar",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle Scots: -er, -ar"
    },
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "-er",
            "qq": "conflated with <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"enm\">-ere</i>"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: -er (conflated with -ere)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: -er (conflated with -ere)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "agentive"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-ier"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French -ier",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-ārius"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -ārius",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French -ier, from Latin -ārius.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "-eer",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ier",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-yr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "cat2": "noun-forming suffixes"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Reflects Old French deverbal formations forming agent or instrument nouns."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly no longer productive) Reflects Old French deverbal formations forming agent or instrument nouns."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/-ˈeːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ər/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 35 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "agentive suffix",
          "word": "-ere"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -ere (agentive suffix)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "-ere",
          "-ere#Middle_English:_agentive"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 35 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "comparative suffix",
          "word": "-ere"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -ere (comparative suffix)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "-ere",
          "-ere#Middle_English:_comparative"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 35 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 4,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "plural suffix",
          "word": "-re"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -re (plural suffix)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "-re",
          "-re#Middle_English:_plural"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 35 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 5,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "suffix",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-er",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "-eren"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of -eren"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "-eren",
          "-eren#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-er"
}

Download raw JSONL data for -er meaning in Middle English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (7cef23e and 3c020d2). 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.