soother
UK[ˈsuːðə(r)]US[ˈsuːðər]
n
a person or thing that soothes, especially a device for a baby to suck on for comfort.
n
(archaic) a person who flatters or appeases.
Morpheme Breakdown
sooth
er
sooth
to calm
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word 'soother' originates from the verb 'soothe', which itself has a fascinating evolution from the old english 'sōthian', meaning 'to prove to be true'. this concept of verification or confirmation gradually softened into the sense of 'to assent' or 'to humor', and eventually to the modern meaning of calming or alleviating distress. the agent suffix '-er' was then appended, creating a noun for an entity that performs this action. thus, a 'soother' literally means 'a thing that makes true or calm', a logical progression from affirming truth to providing comfort and reassurance.
Analysis
Structure: sooth (to calm) + er (agent suffix)
sooth (from old english 'sōthian', meaning to verify or prove true; later influenced by the adjective 'sooth' meaning true/calm, evolving into the verb 'soothe'). er (from old english '-ere', an agent noun suffix indicating a person or thing that performs an action).
Examples
the baby finally stopped crying after being given her pacifier, a reliable soother.
he acted as a soother in the conflict, calming both parties with his reasoned words.
in the 18th century, a courtier was often merely a flattering soother of the monarch's ego.