| agent noun |
| Definition -
A noun that labels the person or thing that is the source of action. As opposed to a recipient noun, which labels the person or thing that is receiving the action. Note: The suffixes -er, -ist, and -or are used to form agent nouns. |
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Example - (1) adviser (someone who advises) (2) evangelist (someone who evangelizes) (3) guarantor (someone who gives a guaranty) |
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Oxford English Dictionary - The term's first citation is from 1879: "There is hardly a suffix by which action-nouns are formed which does not also make agent-nouns or adjectives." ( Whitney Sanskr. Gram. 374) |