singer
/ˈsɪŋə(r)/
noun
Origin
Old English
singan — to sing
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person who sings, especially professionally.
- A bird that sings.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
singer
Earliest period
Middle English
Journey
The word is a standard agent noun formed by adding the suffix '-er' to the Old English verb 'singan'. This pattern of forming agent nouns was highly productive in Germanic languages and remains a primary way to construct new nouns in English today.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*sengw-
“to sing, call”
- Proto-Germanic
*singwaną
“to sing”
- Old English
singere
“a singer”
Agent noun derived from 'singan'
- Middle English
singer
“one who sings”
Connections
Word parts
sing
root
to produce musical sounds with the voice
er
suffix
agent suffix indicating a person or thing that performs an action
Related across languages
German
Sänger
singer
Dutch
zanger
singer
Related words
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Related to singer
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.