dramatist

The word 'dramatist' is a relatively modern English formation, coined by combining the existing noun 'drama' with the agent suffix '-ist'. 'Drama' itself entered English in the early 16th century from Latin 'drama', which was borrowed from Greek 'drama' (action, deed, play), derived from the verb 'dran' (to do, to act). The suffix '-ist' has a complex journey, originating from the Greek agent-noun ending '-istes', which passed into Latin as '-ista', then into French as '-iste', before becoming a productive suffix in English. Thus, a dramatist is literally "one who does or creates drama," directly linking the ancient Greek concept of enacted action to the modern profession of playwright.