do-it-yourselfer
UK[ˌduː ɪt jɔːˈselfə(r)]US[ˌdu ɪt jərˈselfər]
n
A person who builds, repairs, or decorates things in their own home themselves, rather than paying a professional to do it.
Morpheme Breakdown
do
it
yourself
er
do
to perform, act
it
yourself
er
Etymology
The term is a modern compound originating in mid-20th century American English, directly constructed from the common instructional phrase "do it yourself." The phrase itself is built from core Germanic elements: "do" (from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-, "to put, place, do"), "it" (a neuter pronoun), and "yourself" (emphasizing personal responsibility). The addition of the agent suffix "-er" (from Proto-Germanic -ārijaz) nominalizes the entire phrase, creating a label for a person who embodies the ethos of self-reliance in home maintenance and construction. This lexicalization reflects a post-war cultural trend valuing individual practicality and frugality.
Analysis
Structure: do + it + yourself + er
do: Old English, functional role: verb root meaning "to perform, act".
it: Old English, functional role: pronoun referring to an unspecified object or task.
yourself: Old English (from 'ge' + 'self'), functional role: reflexive pronoun emphasizing personal agency.
er: Old English, functional role: agent noun suffix indicating "a person who does something".
Examples
The typical do-it-yourselfer spent the weekend installing new kitchen cabinets.
As an avid do-it-yourselfer, she learned plumbing and electrical work from online tutorials.
Hardware stores cater to do-it-yourselfers by offering workshops and easy-to-follow kits.