investor
UK[ɪnˈvɛstə]US[ɪnˈvɛstər]
n
a person or organization that puts money into financial schemes, property, or a business with the expectation of achieving a profit.
n
a person who devotes time, energy, or effort to something with the expectation of a worthwhile result.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
vest
or
in
into
vest
clothe
or
person who does
Etymology
The word 'investor' originates from the Latin verb 'investire', meaning 'to clothe, to surround'. In medieval Latin commercial contexts, this evolved to metaphorically mean 'to endow with power or authority', as if clothing someone in the attributes of an office. By the 16th century, the financial sense emerged, where to 'invest' meant to clothe money in a venture or asset, thereby endowing it with the potential to grow. An 'investor' is thus, etymologically, the agent who performs this act of clothing capital in productive enterprise.
Analysis
Structure: in (into) + vest (clothe) + or (person who does)
in- (Latin prefix meaning 'in, into'), vest (from Latin 'vestire', meaning 'to clothe'), -or (Latin agent noun suffix, meaning 'a person or thing that does something').
Examples
the savvy investor diversified her portfolio across several industries.
attracting foreign investors is crucial for the country's economic development.
he was not just a financial backer but a true investor of time and expertise in the startup.