后綴-ster = 做…的人、與…有關(guān)系的人
一些含有此后綴的詞含有賤稱 / 輕蔑的意義,表示“某種樣子的人”,例如:trickster 騙子、gamester 賭徒 / 賭棍、gangster 匪徒 / 歹徒、mobster 暴徒 / 匪徒;亦可表示“交通工具”,如:speedster 雙座高速車。
英文詞源:Old English -istre, from Proto-Germanic *-istrijon, feminine agent suffix used as the equivalent of masculine -ere (see -er (1)). Also used in Middle English to form nouns of action (meaning "a person who ...") without regard for gender.
The genderless agent noun use apparently was a broader application of the original feminine suffix, beginning in the north of England, but linguists disagree over whether this indicates female domination of weaving and baking trades, as represented in surnames such as Webster, Baxter, Brewster, etc. (though spinster probably carries an originally female ending). Also whitester "one who bleaches cloth." In Modern English, the suffix has been productive in forming derivative nouns (gamester, punster, etc.).
同綴詞:
1.songster [song 歌 + -ster 后綴表示人→]
n.歌手,歌唱家
2.dabster [dab n. 少許; 是…能手 + -ster 后綴表示人]
n.能手,巧手
3.punster [pun n. 雙關(guān)語(yǔ); 俏皮話 + -ster 后綴表示人→]
n. 愛(ài)用雙關(guān)語(yǔ)的人
4.tapster [tap vt. (從容器等)汲?。ㄒ后w)+ -ster 后綴表示人→]
n.酒吧間招待員
5.gamester [game 游戲,比賽 + -ster 后綴表示人→]
n.賭徒
6.gangster [gang 幫派,團(tuán)體;(盜賊等的)一幫 + -ster 后綴表示人→]
n.歹徒;盜匪 (趣記:干死他)
7.minister [拉丁文mini = samll + -ster 后綴表示人→小人物→傭人;神或國(guó)民的個(gè)人→]
n.部長(zhǎng),牧師;(古)仆人
8.spinster [spin 紡線 + -ster 后綴表示人 → 以前,未婚女性通常都在家里紡線織布,所以,十七世紀(jì)之后,過(guò)了適婚年齡而未結(jié)婚的女子都這么稱呼。]
n.未婚女性;老處女
9.youngster [young 年輕的 + -ster 后綴表示人→]
n.青年;少年(趣記:淹死他)