cashier
UK[kæˈʃɪə(r)]US[kæˈʃɪr]
n
A person whose job is to receive and pay out money in a shop, bank, or other business.
v
To dismiss someone from the armed forces in disgrace.
Morpheme Breakdown
cash
ier
cash
money
ier
person who does
Etymology
The word 'cashier' has a dual history converging in English. Its primary modern meaning originates from the Dutch kassier or French caissier, both derived from casse or caisse (money box), which itself traces back to the Latin capsa, meaning 'box' or 'case'. This reflects the original role of a cashier as the keeper of the money box. The less common verb meaning, 'to dismiss from service', comes from the Dutch casseren or French casser (to discharge, annul), from Latin cassare (to annul), which is unrelated to money. The English spelling and predominant meaning solidified around the 16th and 17th centuries, with the '-ier' suffix consistently marking it as an agent noun for the person handling cash.
Analysis
Structure: cash (money) + ier (person who does)
- cash: From Old French casse (money box), from Latin capsa (box, case). In this word, it functions as the core semantic root referring to money.
- ier: A suffix of Anglo-Norman/French origin (from Latin -arius), used to form agent nouns indicating a person concerned with or employed in something.
Examples
Please take your receipt and change from the cashier.
The supermarket is hiring part-time cashiers for the evening shift.
The officer was cashiered for gross misconduct.