Agentive ending

Agentive ending

An agentive ending in the English language is the use of the suffix "-er", "-or", "-ist", or "-ian" at the end of a verb in order to create a noun meaning "someone or something that does the action the verb describes." Examples include "provider" (from "provide") and "builder" (from "build").

Examples of words with "-ist" and "-ian" endings include "pianist" and "librarian".

See also: gerund


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