jeweller
Meaning
a person or company that makes, sells, or repairs jewellery and watches.
Structure
Usage
the skilled jeweller carefully set the diamond into the platinum ring.
we took the broken necklace to a reputable jeweller for repair.
the family-owned jeweller has been in business on this street for over a century.
Etymology
the word 'jeweller' is a compound formed from the noun 'jewel' and the agent suffix '-er'. 'jewel' itself has a rich history, entering middle english from anglo-norman 'juel', which derived from old french 'jouel', a term for a precious object or ornament. the ultimate origin is likely in vulgar latin 'jocale', meaning 'plaything', from latin 'jocus' (game, sport), reflecting an ancient semantic shift from 'plaything' to 'valued ornament'. the suffix '-er' (here spelled '-ler' after a root ending in 'l') is a prolific english agentive ending of germanic origin, used to denote a person associated with the root noun. thus, a 'jeweller' is literally 'one who deals with jewels', a meaning that has remained remarkably consistent from its medieval origins to its modern professional usage.
Analysis
- jewel: from anglo-norman 'juel', old french 'jouel', meaning 'ornament, jewel'. functions as the core noun root. - ler: a variant of the agent suffix '-er', from old english '-ere', indicating a person who performs an action related to the root word.