informant
UK[ɪnˈfɔːmənt]US[ɪnˈfɔːrmənt]
n
A person who gives information to another.
n
A native speaker of a language who provides utterances and forms for a linguist to analyze.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
form
ant
in
in
form
shape
ant
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'informant' has a clear lineage from Latin, built upon the verb 'informare', meaning "to shape, to give form to, to train or instruct". This verb itself is a compound of 'in-' (into) and 'forma' (shape). The literal sense was to put form into something, such as shaping the mind with knowledge. The agent noun suffix '-ant' was added to denote the person who performs this action. Over time, the meaning specialized from a general instructor to someone who provides specific information or data, whether to authorities, researchers, or journalists, while retaining the core idea of one who imparts form (knowledge) to another.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + form (shape) + ant (agent suffix)
- in: Latin origin, meaning "in, into, within". A prefix indicating direction or inward action.
- form: Latin origin, from 'forma', meaning "shape, form, pattern". The core root conveying the concept of giving shape or structure.
- ant: Latin origin, from '-antem', a suffix forming agent nouns, indicating "one who performs an action".
Examples
The journalist protected the identity of her confidential informant.
In linguistic fieldwork, an informant helps document the grammar and vocabulary of an endangered language.
Police acted on a tip from a reliable informant within the organization.