buyer
UK[ˈbaɪə(r)]US[ˈbaɪər]
n
a person who makes a purchase.
n
a person employed to select and purchase stock or materials for a large store or business.
Morpheme Breakdown
buy
er
buy
er
Etymology
the word 'buyer' is a transparent english compound formed from the native germanic verb 'buy' and the agentive suffix '-er'. the verb 'buy' descends from old english 'bycgan', which has cognates in other germanic languages, all sharing the core meaning of obtaining something through payment. the suffix '-er', from old english '-ere', is a prolific agent-noun formative, directly equivalent to latin '-or'. thus, the literal construction 'one who buys' has remained semantically stable and perfectly logical from its old english origins to its modern professional and commercial usage, representing a straightforward example of english word formation.
Analysis
Structure: buy + er
buy (verb, from old english 'bycgan', meaning to acquire in exchange for money) + er (agent noun suffix, from old english '-ere', indicating a person who performs the action of the verb).
Examples
the buyer is interested in viewing the property next week.
she works as a buyer for a major department store.
the auction attracted potential buyers from around the world.