Agent noun: Difference between revisions

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In linguistics, an agent noun (in Latin, nomen agentis) is a word that is derived from another word denoting an action, and that identifies an entity that does that action.^[1] For example, driver is an agent noun formed from the verb drive.^[2]

Usually, derived in the above definition has the strict sense attached to it in morphology, that is the derivation takes as an input a lexeme (an abstract unit of morphological analysis) and produces a new lexeme. However, the classification of morphemes into derivational morphemes (see word formation) and inflectional ones is not generally a straightforward theoretical question, and different authors can make different decisions as to the general theoretical principles of the classification as well as to the actual classification of morphemes presented in a grammar of some language (for example, of the agent noun-forming morpheme).

Words related to agent noun[edit]

Polish agental suffixes
-cz	bieg-ać 'to run'	bieg-acz 'runner'
-rz	pis-ać 'to write'	pis-arz 'writer'
-c	†kraw-ać 'to cut'	kraw-iec 'tailor'
-ca	daw-ać 'to give'	daw-ca 'giver'
-k	pis-ać 'to write'	pis-ak 'marker' (pen)
	skak-ać 'to jump'	skocz-ek 'jumper'
	chodz-ić 'to walk'	chodz-ik 'walker' (walking aid)
-ciel	nos-ić 'to carry'	nos-i-ciel 'carrier'
-nik	pracow-ać 'to work'	pracow-nik 'worker'
	rob-ić 'to do' 'to work' rob-ot-a 'work'	rob-ot-nik 'worker'
	praw-ić 'to orate' 'to moralize' praw-o 'law' praw-y 'right' 'righteous'	praw-nik 'lawyer'
-y	las 'forest' leś-nik 'forester'	leś-nicz-y 'forester'

An agentive suffix or agentive prefix is commonly used to form an agent noun from a verb. Examples:

English: -er, -or, -ian, -ist
Basque: -le (ikasle 'student' from ikasi 'learn')
Dutch: -er, -ende, -or, -iet, -ant, -aar
Finnish: -ja/-jä (puhua 'speak', puhuja 'speaker'; lyödä 'hit', lyöjä 'hitter'); -uri (borrowed from '-or'/'er', probably via German)
French: -(t)eur (m.); -(t)eure,^[3] -(t)euse, -trice, -iste (f.)
Georgian: მე- ... -ე (me- ... -e), as in მებაღე (mebaghe 'gardener') from ბაღი (baghi 'garden'); otherwise the nominalization of the present participle (formed with many possible circumfixes) may occur.^[4]
German: -er, -ler, -ner, -or, -ör, -ist, -it, -ite, -ant, -ent (may be compounded with the feminine ending -in)
Greek: -ήρ, -τήρ
Hungarian: no specific agentive suffix, the nominalization of present participle (suffix: -ó/-ő, according to vowel harmony) is used instead; examples: dolgozó ('worker'), szerelő ('repairman'), vezető ('leader', 'driver', 'electrical conductor')
Irish: -óir (broad), -eoir (slender), -aí (broad), -í (slender)
Khasi: prefix nong- or myn-, for example shad 'to dance', nongshad 'dancer'; tuh 'to steal', myntuh 'thief'
Latin: -tor (m.) / -trix (f.) / -trum (n.) / -torius, -a, -um (adj.) as in arator / aratrix / aratrum / aratorius; -sor (m.) / -strix (f.) / -strum (n.) / -sorius, -a, -um (adj.) as in assessor / assestrix / *assestrum / assessorius; see also: -ens
Maori: kai-
Persian: ـنده (-ande): from present roots; as in گوینده (gūyande; 'speaker') from گفتن، گوی- (goftan, gūy-; to speak) / ـار (-ār) : from past roots; as in خواستار (x^wāstār; 'wanter') from خواستن، خواه- (x^wāstan, x^wāh-; 'to want'). / ـگر (-gar): from nouns; as in کارگر (kārgar; 'worker') from کار (kār; 'work').^[5]
Polish: see table
Quechua: -q (pukllay 'to play', pukllaq 'player')
Russian: -чик or -ник (m.) / -чица or -ница (f.) as in ученик 'student'; -тель (m.) / -тельница (f.) as in учитель 'teacher'^[6]
Spanish: -dor(a), -ero(a), -ista, -ario(a)
Turkish: -ci (çiçekçi 'florist' from çiçek 'flower')
Welsh: -wr (m.), -ores (f.)

References[edit]

^ "agent noun". Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
^ Panther, Klaus-Uwe; Thornburg, Linda L.; Barcelona, Antonio (2009). Metonymy and metaphor in grammar. Vol. 25. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 101. ISBN 978-90-272-2379-1.
^ Delvaux, Martine; Melançon, Benoit (2019-08-21). "Pour ou contre le mot « autrice » ?" [For or against the word "author"?]. Radio-Canada (in French). Québec. Retrieved 2024-03-20. See also wikt:fr:-eure.
^ Aronson, Howard I. (1990). Georgian: A Reading Grammar. Corrected edition. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica Publishers. pp. 119–120.
^ ""Agent noun-اسم فاعل" in Dehkhoda Dictionary". Parsi Wiki.
^ "Suffixes of Russian Nouns - Examples and Translation of Russian Suffixes". masterrussian.com. Retrieved 2017-02-15.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Noun that represents the agent of some action}}
-In [[linguistics]], an '''agent noun''' (in [[Latin]], '''{{lang|la|nomen agentis}}''') is a word that is derived from another word denoting an [[action (philosophy)|action]], and that identifies an entity [[agent (grammar)|that does that action]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/agent-noun|title=agent noun|publisher=Oxford Learner's Dictionaries|accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> For example, "driver" is an agent noun formed from the [[verb]] "drive".<ref>{{cite book|title=Metonymy and metaphor in grammar|volume=25|pages=101|first1=Klaus-Uwe|last1=Panther|first2=Linda L.|last2=Thornburg|first3=Antonio|last3=Barcelona|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|year=2009|ISBN=90-272-2379-3}}</ref>
+{{confused|agent (grammar)}}
+In [[linguistics]], an '''agent noun''' (in [[Latin]], '''{{lang|la|nomen agentis}}''') is a word that is derived from another word denoting an [[action (philosophy)|action]], and that identifies an entity [[agent (grammar)|that does that action]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/agent-noun|title=agent noun|publisher=Oxford Learner's Dictionaries|access-date=December 11, 2014}}</ref> For example, ''driver'' is an agent noun formed from the [[verb]] ''drive''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Metonymy and metaphor in grammar|volume=25|pages=101|first1=Klaus-Uwe|last1=Panther|first2=Linda L.|last2=Thornburg|first3=Antonio|last3=Barcelona|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|year=2009|isbn=978-90-272-2379-1}}</ref>
-Usually, ''derived'' in the above definition has the strict sense attached to it in [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], that is the [[derivation (linguistics)|derivation]] takes as an input a [[lexeme]] (an abstract unit of morphological analysis) and produces a new lexeme. However, the classification of [[morpheme]]s into derivational morphemes (see [[word formation]]) and  [[inflection]]al ones is not generally a straightforward theoretical question, and different authors can make different decisions as to the general theoretical principles of the classification as well as to the actual classification of morphemes presented in a grammar of some [[language]] (for example, of the agent noun-forming morpheme).
+Usually, ''derived'' in the above definition has the strict sense attached to it in [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], that is the [[derivation (linguistics)|derivation]] takes as an input a [[lexeme]] (an abstract unit of morphological analysis) and produces a new lexeme. However, the classification of [[morpheme]]s into derivational morphemes (see [[word formation]]) and [[inflection]]al ones is not generally a straightforward theoretical question, and different authors can make different decisions as to the general theoretical principles of the classification as well as to the actual classification of morphemes presented in a grammar of some [[language]] (for example, of the agent noun-forming morpheme).
 ==Words related to agent noun==
 {| class='wikitable' style='font-size: smaller; float: right;'
-|+ Polish agental affixes
+|+ Polish agental suffixes
 ! {{lang|pl|-cz}}
 | {{lang|pl|bieg-ać}} 'to run'
@@ Line 32: / Line 34: @@
 | {{lang|pl|chodz-ik}} 'walker' (walking aid)
 |-
-! {{lang|pl|-l}}
+! {{lang|pl|-ciel}}
 | {{lang|pl|nos-ić}} 'to carry'
-| {{lang|pl|nos-ic-iel}} 'carrier'
+| {{lang|pl|nos-i-ciel}} 'carrier'
 |-
 ! rowspan="3" | {{lang|pl|-nik}}
@@ Line 51: / Line 53: @@
 |}
-An '''agentive affix''' is commonly used to form an agent noun from a verb. Examples:
+An '''agentive suffix''' or agentive prefix is commonly used to form an agent noun from a verb. Examples:
-* English: "-er", "-or", "-ist".
+* [[English language|English]]: ''-er'', ''-or'', ''-ian'', ''-ist''
-* Basque: {{lang|eu|-le}} ({{lang|eu|ikasle}} "student" from {{lang|eu|ikasi}} "learn")
+* [[Basque language|Basque]]: {{lang|eu|-le}} ({{lang|eu|ikasle}} 'student' from {{lang|eu|ikasi}} 'learn')
-* German: {{lang|de|-er}}, {{lang|de|-ler}}, {{lang|de|-ner}}, {{lang|de|-or}}, {{lang|de|-ör}}, {{lang|de|-ist}}, {{lang|de|-it}}, {{lang|de|-ite}}, {{lang|de|-ant}}, {{lang|de|-ent}} (may be compounded with the feminine ending {{lang|de|-in}})
+* [[Dutch language|Dutch]]: {{lang|nl|-er}}, {{lang|nl|-ende}}, {{lang|nl|-or}}, {{lang|nl|-iet}}, {{lang|nl|-ant}}, {{lang|nl|-aar}}
-* French: {{lang|fr|-(t)eur}} ([[masculine|m.]]); {{lang|fr|-(t)euse}}, {{lang|fr|-trice}}, {{lang|fr|-iste}} ([[feminine|f.]])
+* [[Finnish language|Finnish]]: {{lang|fi|-ja}}/{{lang|fi|-jä}} ({{lang|fi|puhua}} 'speak', {{lang|fi|puhuja}} 'speaker'; {{lang|fi|lyödä}} 'hit', {{lang|fi|lyöjä}} 'hitter'); {{lang|fi|-uri}} (borrowed from '-or'/'er', probably via German)
+* [[French language|French]]: {{lang|fr|-(t)eur}} ([[masculine|m.]]); {{lang|fr|-(t)eure}},<ref name="Delvaux-Melançon-2019">{{cite news |first1=Martine |last1=Delvaux |first2=Benoit |last2=Melançon |title=Pour ou contre le mot « autrice » ? |trans-title=For or against the word "author"? |work=Radio-Canada |language=French |location=Québec |date=2019-08-21|access-date=2024-03-20 |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/premiere/emissions/plus-on-est-de-fous-plus-on-lit/segments/entrevue/129118/autrice-auteure-definition-histoire-dictionnaire}} See also [[wikt:fr:-eure]].</ref> {{lang|fr|-(t)euse}}, {{lang|fr|-trice}}, {{lang|fr|-iste}} ([[feminine|f.]])
-* Greek: {{lang|el|-ήρ}}, {{lang|el|-τήρ}}
+* [[Georgian language|Georgian]]: {{lang|ka|მე}}- ... -{{lang|ka|ე}} ({{Lang|ka-latn|me- ... -e}}), as in {{lang|ka|მებაღე}} ({{lang|ka-latn|mebaghe}} 'gardener') from {{lang|ka|ბაღი}} ({{lang|ka-latn|baghi}} 'garden'); otherwise the [[nominalization]] of the [[present participle]] (formed with many possible [[circumfixes]]) may occur.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Aronson |first=Howard I. |title=Georgian: A Reading Grammar. Corrected edition|location=Columbus, Ohio |publisher=Slavica Publishers |date=1990 |pages=119–120}}</ref>
-* Hungarian: no specific agentive suffix, the [[nominalization]] of [[present participle]] (suffix: {{lang|hu|-ó/-ő}}, according to [[vowel harmony]]) is used instead; examples: {{lang|hu|dolgozó}} ("worker"), {{lang|hu|szerelő}} ("repairman"), {{lang|hu|vezető}} ("leader", "driver", "electrical conductor")
-* Latin: {{lang|la|-tor}} (m.) / {{lang|la|-trix}} (f.) / {{lang|la|-trum}} (n.) / {{lang|la|-torius}}, {{lang|la|-a}}, {{lang|la|-um}} (adj.) as in {{lang|la|arator}} / {{lang|la|aratrix}} /{{lang|la|aratrum}} / {{lang|la|aratorius}}; {{lang|la|-sor}} (m.) / {{lang|la|-strix}} (f.) / {{lang|la|-strum}} (n.) / {{lang|la|-sorius}}, {{lang|la|-a}}, {{lang|la|-um}} (adj.) as in {{lang|la|assessor}} / {{lang|la|assestrix}} / {{lang|la|*assestrum}} / {{lang|la|assessorius}}; see also: {{lang|la|-ens}}
+* [[German language|German]]: {{lang|de|-er}}, {{lang|de|-ler}}, {{lang|de|-ner}}, {{lang|de|-or}}, {{lang|de|-ör}}, {{lang|de|-ist}}, {{lang|de|-it}}, {{lang|de|-ite}}, {{lang|de|-ant}}, {{lang|de|-ent}} (may be compounded with the feminine ending {{lang|de|-in}})
-* Maori: {{lang|mi|kai-}}
+* [[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|el|-ήρ}}, {{lang|el|-τήρ}}
+* [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]: no specific agentive suffix, the [[nominalization]] of [[present participle]] (suffix: {{lang|hu|-ó/-ő}}, according to [[vowel harmony]]) is used instead; examples: {{lang|hu|dolgozó}} ('worker'), {{lang|hu|szerelő}} ('repairman'), {{lang|hu|vezető}} ('leader', 'driver', 'electrical conductor')
-* Persian: {{lang|fa|ـنده}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-ande}}): from persent roots; as in {{lang|fa|گوینده}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|gūyande}}; speaker) from {{lang|fa|گفتن، گوی-}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|goftan, gūy-}}; to speak) / {{lang|fa|ـار}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-ār}}) : from past roots; as in {{lang|fa|خواستار}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|x<sup>w</sup>āstār}}; wanter) from {{lang|fa|خواستن، خواه-}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|x<sup>w</sup>āstan, x<sup>w</sup>āh-}}; to want). / {{lang|fa|ـگر}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-gar}}): from nouns ; as in {{lang|fa|کارگر}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|kārgar}}; worker) from {{lang|fa|کار}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|kār}}; work)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parsi.wiki/fa/wiki/topicdetail/e1e46578abf04cdabe3aa8b782029553 |title="Agent noun-اسم فاعل" in Dehkhoda Dictionary|last=|first=|date=|website=Parsi Wiki|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>.
+* [[Irish language|Irish]]: -óir (broad), -eoir (slender), -aí (broad), -í (slender)
-* Polish: see table
+* [[Khasi language|Khasi]]: prefix {{lang|kha-latn|nong-}} or {{lang|kha-latn|myn-}}, for example {{lang|kha-latn|shad}} 'to dance', {{lang|kha-latn|nongshad}} 'dancer'; {{lang|kha-latn|tuh}} 'to steal', {{lang|kha-latn|myntuh}} 'thief'
-* Spanish: {{lang|es|-dor(a)}}
+* [[Latin]]: {{lang|la|-tor}} (m.) / {{lang|la|-trix}} (f.) / {{lang|la|-trum}} (n.) / {{lang|la|-torius}}, {{lang|la|-a}}, {{lang|la|-um}} (adj.) as in {{lang|la|arator}} / {{lang|la|aratrix}} / {{lang|la|aratrum}} / {{lang|la|aratorius}}; {{lang|la|-sor}} (m.) / {{lang|la|-strix}} (f.) / {{lang|la|-strum}} (n.) / {{lang|la|-sorius}}, {{lang|la|-a}}, {{lang|la|-um}} (adj.) as in {{lang|la|assessor}} / {{lang|la|assestrix}} / {{lang|la|*assestrum}} / {{lang|la|assessorius}}; see also: {{lang|la|-ens}}
-* Finnish: {{lang|fi|-ja}}/{{lang|fi|-jä}} ({{lang|fi|puhua}} "speak", {{lang|fi|puhuja}} "speaker"; {{lang|fi|lyödä}} "hit", {{lang|fi|lyöjä}} "hitter"); {{lang|fi|-uri}} (borrowed from '-or'/'er', probably via German)
+* [[Māori language|Maori]]: {{lang|mi|kai-}}
-* Russian: {{lang|ru|-чик}} or {{lang|ru|-ник}} (m.) / {{lang|ru|-чица}} or {{lang|ru|-ница}} (f.) as in {{lang|ru|ученик}} "student"; {{lang|ru|-тель}} (m.) / {{lang|ru|-тельница}} (f.) as in {{lang|ru|учитель}} "teacher"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://masterrussian.com/nounsandcases/suffixes.htm |title=Suffixes of Russian Nouns - Examples and Translation of Russian Suffixes |website=masterrussian.com |access-date=2017-02-15 }}</ref>
+* [[Persian language|Persian]]: {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|ـنده}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-ande}}): from present roots; as in {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|گوینده}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|gūyande}}; 'speaker') from {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|گفتن، گوی-}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|goftan, gūy-}}; to speak) / {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|ـار}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-ār}}) : from past roots; as in {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|خواستار}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|x<sup>w</sup>āstār}}; 'wanter') from {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|خواستن، خواه-}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|x<sup>w</sup>āstan, x<sup>w</sup>āh-}}; 'to want'). / {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|ـگر}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|-gar}}): from nouns; as in {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|کارگر}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|kārgar}}; 'worker') from {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|کار}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|kār}}; 'work').<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parsi.wiki/fa/wiki/topicdetail/e1e46578abf04cdabe3aa8b782029553 |title="Agent noun-اسم فاعل" in Dehkhoda Dictionary|website=Parsi Wiki}}</ref>
-* Dutch: {{lang|nl|-er}}, {{lang|nl|-ende}}, {{lang|nl|-or}}, {{lang|nl|-iet}}, {{lang|nl|-ant}}
+* [[Polish language|Polish]]: see table
-* Welsh: {{lang|cy|-wr}} (m.), {{lang|cy|-ores}} (f.)
+* [[Quechua language|Quechua]]: {{lang|qu|-q}} ({{lang|qu|pukllay}} 'to play', {{lang|qu|pukllaq}} 'player')
+* [[Russian language|Russian]]: {{lang|ru|-чик}} or {{lang|ru|-ник}} (m.) / {{lang|ru|-чица}} or {{lang|ru|-ница}} (f.) as in {{lang|ru|ученик}} 'student'; {{lang|ru|-тель}} (m.) / {{lang|ru|-тельница}} (f.) as in {{lang|ru|учитель}} 'teacher'<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://masterrussian.com/nounsandcases/suffixes.htm |title=Suffixes of Russian Nouns - Examples and Translation of Russian Suffixes |website=masterrussian.com |access-date=2017-02-15 }}</ref>
+* [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: {{lang|es|-dor(a)}}, {{Lang|es|-ero(a)}}, {{Lang|es|-ista}}, {{Lang|es|-ario(a)}}
+* [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: {{lang|tr|-ci}} ({{lang|tr|çiçekçi}} 'florist' from {{lang|tr|çiçek}} 'flower')
+* [[Welsh language|Welsh]]: {{lang|cy|-wr}} (m.), {{lang|cy|-ores}} (f.)
-== See also ==
+==See also==
 * [[Agent (grammar)]]
 * [[Nominalization]]
@@ Line 81: / Line 88: @@
 * {{lang|pl|Maria Wojtyła-Świerzowska|italic=no}}, {{lang|pl|Prasłowiańskie nomen agentis|italic=yes}} ("Protoslavic Nomen Agentis"), Wrocław, 1975
+{{Lexical categories}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{ling-morph-stub}}
 [[Category:Nouns by type]]
+{{ling-morph-stub}}

Agent noun: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:05, 28 April 2024

Words related to agent noun[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Further reading[edit]