comforter
UK[ˈkʌmfətə]US[ˈkʌmfərt̬ər]
n
A thick, warm covering for a bed, filled with soft material.
n
A person or thing that provides comfort.
n
(British) A baby's dummy (pacifier).
Morpheme Breakdown
comfort
er
comfort
to soothe or strengthen
er
Etymology
The word 'comforter' has a journey of meaning from active strength to passive solace. Its core, 'comfort', entered English from Old French conforter, which itself derived from the Late Latin verb confortare, meaning 'to strengthen greatly' (from com-, 'with, together', + fortis, 'strong'). The agent suffix '-er' was added in Middle English, originally denoting 'one who provides strength or support'. Over time, as the concept of 'comfort' softened from denoting physical or spiritual fortification to denoting consolation and ease, the 'comforter' evolved accordingly. Thus, the object that now provides soft warmth (the quilt) retains the name of an agent that once provided robust strength.
Analysis
Structure: comfort + er
- comfort: From Latin confortare ('to strengthen greatly'), via Old French conforter. In this word, it functions as the core semantic root meaning 'to soothe or strengthen'.
- er: From Old English -ere, an agentive suffix indicating 'a person or thing that performs an action'. It functions as a derivational suffix forming a noun.
Examples
She pulled the thick comforter up to her chin on the cold winter night.
In his grief, his friend was a true comforter.
(British) The baby wouldn't sleep until she was given her comforter.