polltaker
UK[ˈpəʊlˌteɪkə]US[ˈpoʊlˌteɪkər]
n
a person whose job is to ask people questions for a public opinion poll
Morpheme Breakdown
poll
taker
poll
public opinion survey
taker
one who takes
Etymology
The word 'polltaker' is a modern English compound formed from two native elements. The first element, 'poll', has an interesting journey from its Middle English meaning of "head" or "scalp" to its modern political sense. This semantic shift occurred because counting people (as in an election or survey) was historically conceptualized as "counting heads". The second element, 'taker', is a straightforward agent noun derived from the common verb 'take', meaning to seize or collect. When combined in the mid-20th century, the compound transparently denotes a person who collects or records the data from an opinion poll, literally a "taker of polls". The logic of the word is entirely compositional, reflecting its status as a recent, purpose-built term.
Analysis
Structure: poll (public opinion survey) + taker (one who takes)
poll: From Middle English polle (head, scalp), later meaning "a counting of heads/votes". In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning "a survey of public opinion".
taker: From Middle English takere, from Old English tacan (to take) + the agent suffix -er. In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning "one who takes or collects".
Examples
The polltaker called during dinner to ask about my voting intentions.
She worked as a polltaker for a major research firm, conducting surveys over the phone.
The accuracy of the prediction relied heavily on the methodology used by the polltakers.