Login
Login

agent noun

{{Short description|Noun that represents the agent of some action}}

{{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, and that identifies an entity that does that action.{{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}} For example, driver is an agent noun formed from the verb drive.{{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}}

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

class='wikitable' style='font-size: smaller; float: right;'

|+ Polish agental suffixes

! {{lang|pl

cz}}

| {{lang|pl|bieg-ać}} 'to run'

| {{lang|pl|bieg-acz}} 'runner'

{{lang|pl
rz}}

| {{lang|pl|pis-ać}} 'to write'

| {{lang|pl|pis-arz}} 'writer'

{{lang|pl
c}}

| †{{lang|pl|kraw-ać}} 'to cut'

| {{lang|pl|kraw-iec}} 'tailor'

{{lang|pl
ca}}

| {{lang|pl|daw-ać}} 'to give'

| {{lang|pl|daw-ca}} 'giver'

rowspan="3" | {{lang|pl
k}}

| {{lang|pl|pis-ać}} 'to write'

| {{lang|pl|pis-ak}} 'marker' (pen)

{{lang|pl|skak-ać}} 'to jump'

| {{lang|pl|skocz-ek}} 'jumper'

{{lang|pl|chodz-ić}} 'to walk'

| {{lang|pl|chodz-ik}} 'walker' (walking aid)

{{lang|pl
ciel}}

| {{lang|pl|nos-ić}} 'to carry'

| {{lang|pl|nos-i-ciel}} 'carrier'

rowspan="3" | {{lang|pl
nik}}

| {{lang|pl|pracow-ać}} 'to work'

| {{lang|pl|pracow-nik}} 'worker'

{{lang|pl|rob-ić}} 'to do' 'to work'
{{lang|pl|rob-ot-a}} 'work'

| {{lang|pl|rob-ot-nik}} 'worker'

{{lang|pl|praw-ić}} 'to orate' 'to moralize'
{{lang|pl|praw-o}} 'law'
{{lang|pl|praw-y}} 'right' 'righteous'

| {{lang|pl|praw-nik}} 'lawyer'

{{lang|pl
y}}

| {{lang|pl|las}} 'forest'
{{lang|pl|leś-nik}} 'forester'

| {{lang|pl|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: {{lang|eu|-le}} ({{lang|eu|ikasle}} 'student' from {{lang|eu|ikasi}} 'learn')
  • Chinese: {{lang-zh|t=⋯者|p=-zhě|labels=no|out=t}}
  • Coptic: {{lang|cop|ⲣⲉϥ-}}, as in ⲣⲉϥⲙⲉⲓ (refmei 'loving person') from ⲙⲉⲓ (mei 'to love')
  • Dutch: {{lang|nl|-er}}, {{lang|nl|-ende}}, {{lang|nl|-or}}, {{lang|nl|-iet}}, {{lang|nl|-ant}}, {{lang|nl|-aar}}
  • 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: {{lang|fr|-(t)eur}} (m.); {{lang|fr|-(t)eure}},{{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. {{lang|fr|-(t)euse}}, {{lang|fr|-trice}}, {{lang|fr|-iste}} (f.)
  • 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.{{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}}
  • 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}})
  • Greek: {{lang|el|-ήρ}}, {{lang|el|-τήρ}}
  • 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')
  • Irish: -óir (broad), -eoir (slender), -aí (broad), -í (slender)
  • 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'
  • 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}}
  • Maori: {{lang|mi|kai-}}
  • 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|xwāstār}}; 'wanter') from {{lang|fa|{{Script|fa-Arab|خواستن، خواه-}}|rtl=yes}} ({{lang|fa-Latn|xwāstan, xwāh-}}; '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').{{Cite web |url=https://www.parsi.wiki/fa/wiki/topicdetail/e1e46578abf04cdabe3aa8b782029553 |title="Agent noun-اسم فاعل" in Dehkhoda Dictionary|website=Parsi Wiki}}
  • Polish: see table
  • Quechua: {{lang|qu|-q}} ({{lang|qu|pukllay}} 'to play', {{lang|qu|pukllaq}} 'player')
  • 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'{{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 }}
  • Spanish: {{lang|es|-dor(a)}}, {{Lang|es|-ero(a)}}, {{Lang|es|-ista}}, {{Lang|es|-ario(a)}}
  • Turkish: {{lang|tr|-ci}} ({{lang|tr|çiçekçi}} 'florist' from {{lang|tr|çiçek}} 'flower')
  • Welsh: {{lang|cy|-wr}} (m.), {{lang|cy|-ores}} (f.)

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Wiktionary|agent noun|-er|-ist|-or}}

Further reading

  • {{lang|pl|Maria Wojtyła-Świerzowska|italic=no}}, {{lang|pl|Prasłowiańskie nomen agentis|italic=yes}} ("Protoslavic Nomen Agentis"), Wrocław, 1975

{{Lexical categories}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Nouns by type

{{ling-morph-stub}}