bungler
UK[ˈbʌŋɡlə]US[ˈbʌŋɡlər]
n
a person who does something badly or incompetently.
Morpheme Breakdown
bungle
er
bungle
er
Etymology
the word 'bungler' is a relatively modern english formation. its core, the verb 'bungle', first appeared in the 16th century with a meaning related to clumsy or botched work. its exact origin is obscure but is often linked to similar-sounding words in middle dutch or old swedish that conveyed notions of striking or working ineffectually. the agent suffix '-er', with ancient germanic and proto-indo-european roots for denoting an actor, was then appended to this verb. thus, a 'bungler' literally means 'one who bungles', perfectly capturing the concept of a person who habitually performs tasks in a hapless or inept manner.
Analysis
Structure: bungle + er
bungle: origin uncertain, possibly of scandinavian or dutch origin. functions as the verb root meaning to act or work clumsily or incompetently.
er: from old english -ere, a germanic agent noun suffix. indicates a person who performs the action of the verb.
Examples
his reputation as a bungler made it hard for him to find a new job.
the project failed because it was led by a complete bungler.
she felt like a bungler when she accidentally deleted the important file.