-er (?)
.
1. [AS. -ere; akin to L. -arius.]
The termination of many English words, denoting the agent; -- applied either to men or things; as in hater, farmer, heater, grater. At the end of names of places, -er signifies a man of the place; as, Londoner, i. e., London man.
2. [AS. -ra; akin to G. -er, Icel. -are, -re, Goth. -iza, -za, L. -ior, Gr. , Skr. -iyas.]
A suffix used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs; as, warmer, sooner, lat(e)er, earl(y)ier.
© Webster 1913.