959: Limitations of the -or Suffix jul 25, 2017

For those who come across an unfamiliar word, especially those learning a new language, affixes can be quite helpful in figuring out what it means. The suffix '-er', for example, can be added to most verbs to make nouns meaning "agent of [verb]", except with some words like 'over' for which the ending was just coincidental; 'over' is also not a noun, so it wouldn't be an exception to that rule anyway. The suffix '-or' performs a similar function as '-er' in that it denotes someone who does whatever action was indicated with the verb. A person who creates is a 'creator' and someone who conducts is a 'conductor', but this process does not always go both ways, as a 'doctor' is not someone who 'docts' nor is a 'janitor' someone who janits. Theoretically, both of those aforementioned verbs could exist in English through back-formation, but because they both come from Latin words that look quite different from what they would now. To know that '-or' can be to verbs to indicate action or an occupation is not always as useful information without some other memorization of vocabulary and various grammar-conventions.