English

-or

/ə/
Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English -our, from Old French -eor, from Latin -ātor; reinforced by Old French -or and its source, Latin -tor, -tōrem.

    Etymology 2

    From Latin -or.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle English-our
      • borrowedOld French-eor
        • inheritedLatin-ātor
      • derivedAnglo-Norman-our
        • derivedOld French-or
    • learned borrowingLatin-tor “-er”
      • inheritedProto-Italic*-tōr
        • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-tōr
    • derivedLatin-or “-ness”
      • inheritedProto-Italic*-ōs
        • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-ōs

    Related: Old French -or, Latin -tor

    Sources