Where does “town-dweller” come from?

town-dweller (English) comes from English dweller, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

Ancestry of “town-dweller”, step by step

town-dweller traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English dweller

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdwellerAn inhabitant of a specific place; an inhabitant...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she

via English town

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtownA settlement; an area with residential districts,...
2Middle Englishtountown
3Middle EnglishendeThe end or finishing of a thing; the terminal...
4Old Englishendeend, limit, border, corner
5Proto-Germanicandiin addition, furthermore, and
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntiopposite; near; in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Chichewa iye