-ier

1

  1. variant of -er1, usually in nouns designating trades: collier; clothier; furrier; glazier.

Origin of -ier

1
Middle English -ier(e), variant of -yer(e) (cf. -yer), equivalent to -i- v. stem ending + -ere-er1, probably reinforced by Old French -ier<Latin -ārius-ary (cf. soldier)

Words Nearby -ier

Other definitions for -ier (2 of 2)

-ier2

  1. a noun suffix occurring mainly in loanwords from French, often simply a spelling variant of -eer, with which it is etymologically identical (bombardier; brigadier; financier; grenadier); it is also found on an older and semantically more diverse group of loanwords that have stress on the initial syllable (barrier; courier; courtier; terrier). Recent loanwords from French may maintain the modern French pronunciation with loss of the final r sound (croupier; dossier; hotelier).

Origin of -ier

2
<French, Old French <Latin -ārius, -āria, -ārium-ary; cf. -aire, -eer, -er2

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How to use -ier in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -ier

-ier

suffix forming nouns
  1. a variant of -eer brigadier

Origin of -ier

1
from Old English -ere -er 1 or (in some words) from Old French -ier, from Latin -ārius -ary

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