-yer

See also: yer, YER, 'yĕr, and þér

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English -iere, probably from -ien (infinitival suffix) +‎ -ere (agent noun); i.e. nouns in -ere built on verbs in -ien; possibly reinforced by Old French -ier once -ie- became a rising diphthong. More at -ier, -er.

Suffix

-yer

  1. (rare, usually no longer productive) Agent suffix, equivalent to -er, appended to some nouns (especially those ending in the letter "w" or "v").
    ‎law + ‎-yer → ‎lawyer (AmE /ˈlɔɪər/)
    ‎saw + ‎-yer → ‎sawyer /ˈsɔːjər/

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -yer
Arkansawyer
bowyer
lawyer
Lockyer
lovyer
mowyer
sawyer
sieveyer
tawyer

Anagrams

Middle English

Suffix

-yer

  1. alternative form of -iere
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