The word 'suffragist' is built upon the core noun 'suffrage', which entered English from Old French, tracing back to the Latin suffragium, meaning a vote, a political decision, or support. The Latin term's own origins are debated but may relate to suffragari (to support with one's vote), possibly from sub- (under) and a root related to breaking, suggesting the idea of a voting tablet. The suffix '-ist', of Greek origin via Latin, is a prolific agent-noun ending. Combined, the term literally means "a person concerned with voting," and by the 19th century, it became specifically attached to activists, both male and female, campaigning for the extension of voting rights, most famously in the women's suffrage movement.

Structure: suffrage (vote) + ist (person who advocates) - suffrage: From Latin suffragium (a vote, political support, decision). - ist: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin, forming agent nouns denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles.