novelist
UK[ˈnɒvəlɪst]US[ˈnɑːvəlɪst]
n
a person who writes novels
Morpheme Breakdown
novel
ist
novel
a long written story
ist
person who does something
Etymology
the word 'novelist' is a relatively modern formation, emerging in english in the early 18th century. it is built upon the word 'novel', which entered english from the italian 'novella' (a short story of something new), itself a descendant of the latin 'novus' for 'new'. the suffix '-ist', of latin and greek origin, is a common agent-noun suffix indicating a person who practices or is concerned with something. therefore, a 'novelist' literally means 'a person concerned with new stories', reflecting the genre's original distinction from classical epic and romance forms by focusing on contemporary, innovative narratives of modern life.
Analysis
Structure: novel (a long written story) + ist (person who does something)
novel (from italian 'novella', meaning 'new story', ultimately from latin 'novus', meaning 'new'); ist (suffix from latin '-ista', from greek '-istes', denoting an agent or practitioner)
Examples
the novelist spent years researching the historical period for her latest book.
he is celebrated as one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century.
the aspiring novelist submitted her manuscript to several publishing houses.