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Old Church Slavonic
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *-teľь.
Suffix
-тел҄ь • (-telʹĭ) m
- -er, -or; Deverbative nominalizing suffix used to create a masculine agent noun. Usually derived from infinitive (or "aorist") stem of verbs, rarely from root-class verbs, such as:
- дати (dati, “to give”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → дател҄ь (datelʹĭ, “giver”)
- власти (vlasti, “to rule”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → властел҄ь (vlastelʹĭ, “ruler”)
- Some nouns derive from infinitive stem in -а- or -ѣ-:
- дѣлати (dělati, “to do, work”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → дѣлател҄ь (dělatelʹĭ, “worker”)
- съвѣдѣти (sŭvěděti, “to witness, testify”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → лъжесъвѣдѣтел҄ь (lŭžesŭvědětelʹĭ, “false witness”)
- The most common are the nouns with infinitive in -и-:
- гонити (goniti, “to persecute”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → гонител҄ь (gonitelʹĭ, “persecutor”)
- гоубити (gubiti, “to destroy”) + -тел҄ь (-telʹĭ) → гоубител҄ь (gubitelʹĭ, “destroyer”)
Derived terms
Related terms
Russian
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-teľь. Cognate to Old Church Slavonic -тель (-telĭ), Serbo-Croatian -telj and Czech -tel.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-тель • (-telʹ) m
- -er (a suffix appended to words to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a profession, performer of an action or a human relation)
- писа́ть (pisátʹ, “to write”) + -тель (-telʹ) → писа́тель (pisátelʹ, “writer”)
- предста́вить (predstávitʹ, “to represent”) + -тель (-telʹ) → представи́тель (predstavítelʹ, “representative”)
Usage notes
- The stress is usually drawn onto the preceding syllable (but see слу́шатель (slúšatelʹ, “listener”)).
Declension
Derived terms
See also
Ukrainian
Etymology
Inherited from Old Ruthenian -тель (-telʹ), from Old East Slavic -тель (-telĭ), from Proto-Slavic *-teľь.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-тель • (-telʹ) m (feminine -телька)
- appended to verbs and nouns to form masculine agent nouns; -er, -or
- ви́зволити (výzvolyty, “to liberate, to free, to release”) + -тель (-telʹ) → визволи́тель (vyzvolýtelʹ, “liberator”)
- ви́ховати (výxovaty, “to raise, to bring up, to nurture”) + -тель (-telʹ) → вихова́тель (vyxovátelʹ, “teacher (of kindergarden/nursery), fosterer, educator”)
- ганьби́ти (hanʹbýty, “to shame”) + -тель (-telʹ) → ганьби́тель (hanʹbýtelʹ, “shamer”)
- гноби́ти (hnobýty, “to oppress”) + -тель (-telʹ) → гноби́тель (hnobýtelʹ, “oppressor”)
- жи́ти (žýty, “to live”) + -тель (-telʹ) → жи́тель (žýtelʹ, “inhabitant, dweller”)
- ми́слити (mýslyty, “to think”) + -тель (-telʹ) → мисли́тель (myslýtelʹ, “thinker”)
- ни́щити (nýščyty, “to destroy”) + -тель (-telʹ) → ни́щитель (nýščytelʹ, “destroyer”)
- роди́ти (rodýty, “to birth”) + -тель (-telʹ) → роди́тель (rodýtelʹ, “parent”)
- спасти́ (spastý, “to save, to redeem”) + -тель (-telʹ) → спаси́тель (spasýtelʹ, “savior, redeemer”)
Usage notes
- The stress is usually drawn onto the preceding syllable (but see при́ятель (prýjatelʹ, “buddy, pal, friend”)).
Derived terms