druggist

the word 'druggist' is a relatively modern english formation, emerging in the late 16th century. it combines the noun 'drug', which entered english via french and possibly dutch with a primary sense of a 'dry' medicinal ingredient like herbs, with the agentive suffix '-ist', borrowed from latin and ultimately greek. the suffix '-ist' systematically denotes a person who works with or specializes in the preceding element, as seen in 'artist' or 'chemist'. therefore, the literal construction 'one concerned with drugs' evolved directly into the professional title for a compounder and seller of medicinal substances, a role largely synonymous with 'pharmacist' today.

Structure: drug (substance used as medicine or narcotic) + ist (person who practices or is concerned with something) drug: from middle english 'drogge', from old french 'drogue', of uncertain origin, possibly from middle dutch 'droge', meaning 'dry'. functions as the base noun denoting the substance. ist: from latin '-ista', from greek '-istēs', a suffix forming agent nouns. functions as a suffix denoting a person associated with a practice or thing.