cataloger
UK[ˈkætəlɒɡə]US[ˈkæt̬əlɔːɡər]
n
a person who compiles or maintains a catalog, especially in a library or archive
Morpheme Breakdown
cata
log
er
cata
thoroughly
log
word, account
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'cataloger' is built upon the foundation of 'catalog,' which entered English in the 15th century from French catalogue, itself derived from Late Latin catalogus. This Latin term was borrowed from Greek katalogos, meaning "a list, register, or enrollment." The Greek original is a compound of kata- ("down, completely") and -logos ("reckoning, account"), conveying the sense of a complete, itemized account. The English agent suffix -er was later appended, following a common Germanic pattern, to specify a person whose occupation is to create or manage such systematic lists, thus completing the logical journey from an ancient concept of a thorough accounting to the modern professional role.
Analysis
Structure: cata (thoroughly) + log (word, account) + er (agent suffix)
- cata: From Greek κατά (kata), meaning "down, against, thoroughly." In English, it functions as a prefix indicating completeness or intensification.
- log: From Greek λόγος (logos), meaning "word, speech, reason, account." In English, it functions as a root denoting a systematic record or list.
- er: From Old English -ere, an agent noun suffix indicating "one who does or works with." In English, it functions to form nouns denoting a person associated with an action or thing.
Examples
The library hired a new cataloger to process the collection of rare manuscripts.
As a skilled cataloger, her expertise was crucial for the museum's digital archiving project.
The metadata standards used by the cataloger ensured the resources were easily searchable online.