peacekeeper
UK[ˈpiːsˌkiːpə]US[ˈpiːsˌkiːpər]
n
a person or group that works to prevent conflict or violence, especially a soldier or police officer serving in an international force.
n
a person who tries to stop arguments or fights between other people.
Morpheme Breakdown
peace
keep
er
peace
state of calm
keep
maintain
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word peacekeeper is a transparent english compound formed from native germanic and romance elements. the first element, peace, entered english from the latin 'pax' via norman french, carrying its classical meaning of a state of tranquility or freedom from war. the second element, keep, is a fundamental germanic verb meaning to hold or maintain, originating from old english. the agent suffix -er, also of germanic origin, is productively attached to verbs to indicate one who performs an action. thus, the literal "one who keeps or maintains peace" perfectly captures the modern abstract sense, whether referring to an individual mediator or an international military force deployed to prevent hostilities.
Analysis
Structure: peace (state of calm) + keep (maintain) + er (agent suffix)
peace: from latin 'pax' (peace, treaty), via old french 'pais'. functions as the core noun, denoting the state or condition to be maintained.
keep: from old english 'cepan' (to seize, hold, observe), of germanic origin. functions as the verb, indicating the action of maintaining or guarding.
er: from old english '-ere', an agent noun suffix of germanic origin. functions to denote a person or thing that performs the action of the verb.
Examples
the united nations deployed peacekeepers to monitor the ceasefire.
she often acted as the peacekeeper between her two arguing brothers.
the role of the international peacekeeper is often dangerous and complex.