schemer
UK[ˈskiːmə]US[ˈskiːmər]
n
A person who makes secret and often dishonest plans.
Morpheme Breakdown
scheme
er
scheme
plan
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'schemer' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the noun 'scheme'. 'Scheme' entered English in the 16th century via Latin 'schema', which itself was borrowed from Greek 'skhēma', meaning 'form', 'figure', or 'plan'. The agent suffix '-er', of Germanic origin, is one of the most productive in English, used to denote a person who performs a specific action. Thus, a 'schemer' literally means 'one who makes plans', with the connotation of secretive or devious planning developing from the nuanced use of 'scheme' itself to imply intricate, often underhanded, stratagems.
Analysis
Structure: scheme (plan) + er (agent suffix)
scheme (from Latin schema, from Greek skhēma 'form, figure, plan'); er (from Old English -ere, agent noun suffix, from Proto-Germanic).
Examples
In the story, the cunning schemer plotted to overthrow the king.
He was known as a ruthless political schemer who would stop at nothing to gain power.
The film's villain is not a brute, but a subtle schemer who manipulates others from the shadows.