performer

/pəˈfɔːmə/pur-FAWR-mur

/pɚˈfɔɹmɚ/pur-FAWR-mur

Meaningone who performs

Common meaning: an entertainer

perthroughoutSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 434 · scan
formto furnish, to provideSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 434 · scan
eragent ending: one who

‘throughout’ + ‘to furnish, to provide’ → performer

Journey through time

Latinper- + fournir‘throughout + to furnish, to provide’source
Old Frenchparfournir‘to perform, consummate, accomplish’source
Middle Englishparfournensource
Englishperform‘to carry out’
Englishformed in English from performperformer‘an entertainer’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from perform + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), PERFORM, p.434 · scan

Roots

fournir Old French “to furnish, to provide”
parfournir Old French “to furnish thoroughly”

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