counselor
UK[ˈkaʊnsələ]US[ˈkaʊnsələr]
n
a person trained to give guidance on personal, social, or psychological problems.
n
a person who gives advice; an adviser.
n
a senior officer in the diplomatic service.
Morpheme Breakdown
counsel
or
counsel
advise
or
agent noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'counselor' originates from the latin term consiliator, meaning an adviser, which itself derives from consilium (advice, plan, deliberation). the core latin root consilium is thought to combine the intensive prefix com- (with, together) and a base related to salire (to leap), metaphorically suggesting a "coming together" of ideas or a "leaping together" in deliberation. entering english via old french cunseillier, the term evolved to denote one who provides guidance, with the agent suffix '-or' consistently marking the role of the person who gives counsel, from legal and diplomatic contexts to modern therapeutic guidance.
Analysis
Structure: counsel (advise) + or (agent noun suffix)
counsel (from latin consilium, meaning deliberation, advice, plan); or (from latin -or, an agent noun suffix denoting a person who performs an action).
Examples
she works as a school counselor, helping students with their career choices.
he sought the counsel of a financial advisor, but ultimately made his own decision.
the president met with his senior counselors to discuss the foreign policy crisis.