Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “archer” come from?

Archer comes from Middle English archer, from Old French archier, from Latin arcarius, an agent noun formed with the suffix -arius from the Latin verb arcāre (to bow or curve), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂erkʷo- meaning bow.

archer (English): One who shoots an arrow from a bow or a bolt from...

Definitions

  1. One who shoots an arrow from a bow or a bolt from...

Ancestry of “archer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisharcher—
2Old Frencharchierarcher
3Latinarcārius—
4Latinarcuārius—
5Latinarcusarc, arch; bow; rainbow
6Latinsoliumseat, chair; throne, chair of state, official...
7Proto-Indo-Europeansodyom—
8Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-—

Words derived from “archer”

  • archerfish
  • archeress
  • archership
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- →