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-eur
1- a suffix occurring in loanwords from French, usually agent nouns formed from verbs ( entrepreneur; voyeur ), less commonly adjectives ( agent provocateur ).
Eur.
2abbreviation for
- Europe.
- European.
eur-
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
Like the corresponding French nouns in -eur, these nouns in -aire, as well as those in -èire, are also used as adjectives.
The same sentiment, though expressed the contrary way, occurs in Eur.
There can be no doubt that the fylfot throughout Eur-Asia had a symbolic significance, which in many places it still retains.
A plaintive phee-eur; a short, plaintive, twittering warble.
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Words That Use -Eur
What does -eur mean?
The form -eur is a suffix that marks an agent noun or, occasionally, an adjective in loanwords from French. Agent nouns are nouns that indicate a person who does an action. Broadly speaking, then, -eur means “doer.” The suffix -eur is relatively common in both everyday and technical terms.
The suffix -eur ultimately comes from the Latin -or or -ator, which was used to indicate agent nouns.
An equivalent of -eur in words from English is the suffix -er, as in singer (someone who sings).
What are variants of -eur?
When agent nouns ending in -eur are used to refer to a feminine-gendered element, -eur becomes -euse, as in chanteuse (a female singer). Although -eur is a masculine-gendered ending for agent nouns, it is often (though not always) preferred over -euse as the default in English, regardless of the subject’s gender.
Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -euse article.
Examples of -eur
One example of a word you may be familiar with that features the suffix -eur is entrepreneur, “a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.”
The first part of the word, entrepren-, comes from the French entreprendre, meaning “to undertake,” like in the related word enterprise. Because the suffix -eur means “doer”, entrepreneur roughly translates to “someone who undertakes (some venture).”
What are some words that use the suffix -eur?
The following words are all French loanwords and therefore use the equivalent form of -eur in French.
What are some other forms that -eur may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that ends with the exact letters -eur uses the suffix -eur to indicate a “doer.” Non-agent nouns with similar endings include grandeur and monseigneur. Learn why monseigneur means “my lord” at our entry for the word.
Break it down!
A connoisseur is a kind of expert judge or discerning enthusiast, especially in fine arts of matters of taste. Given that the connoiss- part of the word comes from the French verb for “to know,” what is a literal translation of connoisseur?
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