*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -fer

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *bʰorós Proto-Italic *-foros Latin -ferder. English -fer Derived from Latin -fer (“

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
suffix

Holder or bearer of something.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *bʰorós Proto-Italic *-foros Latin -ferder. English -fer Derived from Latin -fer (“bearer”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "la:-fer<t:bearer>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰer-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *bʰorós\nProto-Italic *-foros\nLatin -ferder.\nEnglish -fer\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"bearer\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"bearing\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"carrying\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰer-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"o-grade\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"thematic\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-os\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"possessive\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰorós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-foros\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-fer\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-fer\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-fer\">\nDerived from Latin -fer (“bearer”)."
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "la:-fer<t:bearer>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰer-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *bʰorós\nProto-Italic *-foros\nLatin -ferder.\nEnglish -fer\nDerived from Latin -fer (“bearer”)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*bʰer-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰer-"
    ],
    [
      "*-os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-os#Proto-Indo-European:_thematic"
    ],
    [
      "*-ós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ós#Proto-Indo-European:_possessive"
    ],
    [
      "*-ós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ós#Proto-Indo-European:_o-grade"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰorós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰorós#Proto-Indo-European:_carrying"
    ],
    [
      "*-foros",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-foros#Proto-Italic:_bearing"
    ],
    [
      "-fer",
      "-fer#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-fer",
      "-fer#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Holder or bearer of something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "a754184848d17f94c02b65d8fcc7e7dff5fecd98e108f06cb6d1b1ceb0f86186",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1269175
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -fer →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-LWZlcg