Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gamer” come from?

Gamer comes from English game plus the suffix -er, ultimately deriving from Latin -arius, Old French -er, and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.

gamer (English): A person who plays any kind of game; A person...

Definitions

  1. A person who plays any kind of game; A person...

Ancestry of “gamer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgameA playful or competitive activity; A video game;...
2Middle EnglishgameEntertainment or an instance of it; that which is...
3Old Englishgamengame, sport, or pastime; joy, mirth, or pleasure
4Proto-West Germanicgaman—
5Proto-Germanicgamanąa fellow human, associate, companion; pleasure,...
6Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt—
10Germankitt—
11Old High Germankuti—
12Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
13Proto-Germanickweduzresin
14Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
15Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “gamer”

  • wargamer
  • nongamer
  • Gamerscore
  • gamerscore
  • netgamer
  • retrogamer
  • Gamergater
  • Gamergate
  • gamer
  • gamer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →