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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.

buyer – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology