Where does “transformer” come from?

transformer (English) comes from English Transformer, 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.

transformer (English): Something that transforms, changing its own or...

Definitions

  1. Something that transforms, changing its own or...

Ancestry of “transformer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTransformerA toy in the Transformers toyline which has...
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
Every word from Chichewa iye →Every word from English -er →Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti →