pursuer
UK[pəˈsjuːə(r)]US[pərˈsuːər]
n
a person who is following or chasing someone or something.
n
a person who tries to achieve or obtain something, especially over a long period.
Morpheme Breakdown
pursu
er
pursu
e) (to follow
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word 'pursuer' is a transparent english formation, combining the verb 'pursue' with the agentive suffix '-er'. the core verb 'pursue' entered english via anglo-norman from old french poursuir, which itself evolved from vulgar latin prosequere, a reshaping of classical latin prosequi. prosequi is a compound of pro- ('forward') and sequi ('to follow'), a verb of proto-indo-european origin meaning 'to follow'. the literal ancient sense of 'following forward' or 'going after' has been remarkably stable, evolving into the modern abstract meanings of chasing physically or striving to attain a goal. the suffix '-er', of germanic origin, productively attaches to verbs to denote the person performing the action, thus a 'pursuer' is literally 'one who pursues'.
Analysis
Structure: pursu(e) (to follow) + er (agent suffix)
pursu(e): from old french poursuir, from vulgar latin prosequere, from latin prosequi ('to follow, accompany, pursue'). functional role: verbal root.
er: from old english -ere, a suffix forming agent nouns from verbs. functional role: derivational suffix indicating 'one who does'.
Examples
the police officer was a relentless pursuer of the suspect through the crowded streets.
as a pursuer of knowledge, she spent decades conducting research in the archives.
in the game, you must evade your pursuers to reach the safe zone.