Forming agent nouns from nouns and verbs, esp. also names of persons engaged in a trade or profession. (a) Inherited from OE: e.g. bōk-ere scribe [OE bōc-ere, from bōc document, charter], salt-ere salt dealer [OE sealt-ere, from sealt salt], wrīt-ere scribe [OE wrīt-ere, from wrīt-an write], harp-ere harp player [OE hearp-ere from hearpe harp, or from hearp-ian play the harp]; (b) formed in ME (often competing with, or replacing, agent nouns in -e, -ster, -iē̆r, or -ǒur): e.g. rōp-ere rope maker, clōth-ere cloth maker (beside clōth-ier), wēv-ere weaver (beside webb-e, web-ster), bāk-ere baker (beside bak-(e)ster), hǒnt-ere hunter (beside hǒnte), charm-ere enchanter (cp. OF charm-ier), prēch-er preacher (beside prēch-ǒur, OF prech-eor); (c) formed in later ME on action nouns in -ciǒun (rare): peticiǒun-er one who petitions [cp. ML petītiōn-ārius], extorciǒun-er one who practices extortion; (d) formed in later ME to go with abstract nouns (rare): astronom-iēr, -er, from astronomie (replacing earlier astronom-ien); philosophre, -er (replacing earlier philosophe).

(a) Forming nouns denoting an inhabitant of a city or country (late and rare): Lǒnden-er Londoner, foreign-er an alien; (b) forming surnames from place names: e.g. Dǒuner, from dǒun hill; Haccher, from hacch hatch, gate; Briǧǧer, Breǧǧer, Bruǧǧer, from briǧǧe bridge; Bẹ̄cher, from bẹ̄che beech. (See G. Fransson, ME Surnames 194-202.)