collaborator
UK[kəˈlæbəreɪtə(r)]US[kəˈlæbəreɪtər]
n
A person who works with another person or group in order to achieve or do something.
n
A person who helps an enemy that has taken control of his or her country.
Morpheme Breakdown
col
labor
ator
col
together with
labor
work
ator
a person or thing that does something
Etymology
The word 'collaborator' is built from Latin components, entering English in the 19th century. Its core is the Latin verb 'collaborare', meaning 'to work together', which itself is a compound of the prefix 'col-' (a variant of 'com-', denoting 'together') and the verb 'laborare' ('to work'). The agent noun suffix '-ator' was then appended to signify 'one who works together'. The modern dual meaning reflects this etymology: the primary sense of a cooperative partner stems directly from the literal meaning of the roots. The negative sense of one who cooperates with an occupying enemy, which gained prominence during World War II, is a specific, contextual application of the same core idea of 'working together', but with a traitorous implication.
Analysis
Structure: col + labor + ator
col: Latin origin, a form of the prefix 'com-' meaning 'together with'.
labor: Latin origin, meaning 'work', 'toil', or 'exertion'.
ator: Latin origin, a suffix forming agent nouns, meaning 'a person or thing that does something'.
Examples
She was a key collaborator on the scientific research project.
The software was developed in close partnership with an external collaborator.
After the war, he was tried as a collaborator for his dealings with the enemy regime.