abstainer
UK[əbˈsteɪnə]US[əbˈsteɪnər]
n
a person who chooses not to do or have something, especially something enjoyable like drinking alcohol or eating certain foods.
n
a person who formally refrains from voting on a particular matter.
Morpheme Breakdown
abstain
er
abstain
to refrain.
er
Etymology
The word 'abstainer' is built upon the verb 'abstain,' which entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'abstenir,' itself derived from Latin 'abstinēre.' This Latin verb is a compound of 'abs-' (a variant of 'ab-' meaning "away, from") and 'tenēre' (a foundational verb meaning "to hold, keep, have"). The literal sense is "to hold oneself away from" something. The agent suffix '-er,' of Germanic origin, was then appended to form a noun identifying a person who performs this action of holding back. Thus, an abstainer is etymologically one who holds themselves away from a particular practice or indulgence.
Analysis
Structure: abstain + er
- abstain: From Latin 'abstinēre' (to hold back), composed of 'abs-' (away from) + 'tenēre' (to hold). Functions as the verb root meaning "to refrain."
- er: From Old English '-ere', an agent noun suffix indicating "a person who does something."
Examples
He was a lifelong abstainer from alcohol.
Several committee members registered as abstainers during the controversial vote.
As a vegetarian and an abstainer from caffeine, her diet was quite restrictive.