respecter
UK[rɪˈspɛktə]US[rɪˈspɛktər]
n
A person or thing that shows respect or regard for something.
n
(in phrase "no respecter of persons") A person or thing that does not treat people differently based on their status, wealth, etc.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
spect
er
re
again
spect
look
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word "respecter" is built upon the core Latin verb respicere, meaning "to look back at" or "to regard". This verb itself is a compound of the prefix re- ("back") and specere ("to look"). The fundamental concept is one of looking again, giving consideration, or holding someone in regard. In English, the verb "respect" was formed from its Latin past participle respectus, and the agent suffix "-er" was added to create "respecter", literally meaning "one who regards". The modern meaning evolved from the literal act of looking back to the figurative act of showing esteem or consideration, with the specialized phrase "no respecter of persons" emphasizing impartial regard.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + spect (look) + er (agent suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- spect: Latin origin, from the root specere meaning "to look at" or "to observe".
- er: Old English origin, an agent noun suffix indicating "a person or thing that performs an action".
Examples
He was a great respecter of tradition and protocol.
The disease is a respecter of no one, affecting both the rich and the poor equally.
A true scientist must be a respecter of empirical evidence above all else.