footballer
UK[ˈfʊtbɔːlə(r)]US[ˈfʊtˌbɔːlər]
n
a person who plays football, especially as a professional.
Morpheme Breakdown
foot
ball
er
foot
foot
ball
ball
er
person who
Etymology
the word 'footballer' is a modern english compound agent noun, built upon the much older term 'football'. the game's name, 'football', literally describes a game played on foot with a ball, distinguishing it from games played on horseback. the agent suffix '-er', of germanic origin, is productively attached to nouns to denote a person professionally or habitually connected with that noun. thus, the etymological logic is transparent: a 'footballer' is literally 'one associated with football'.
Analysis
Structure: foot (foot) + ball (ball) + er (person who)
foot (old english 'fōt', meaning the lower extremity of the leg); ball (old english 'beall' or old norse 'bǫllr', meaning a spherical object); er (old english agent suffix '-ere', denoting a person associated with an action or thing).
Examples
the young footballer was signed by a premier league club.
she is considered one of the most talented footballers of her generation.
the retired footballer now works as a television pundit.