-ister

-ister, † -istre

suffix repr. OF. -istre, a by-form of -iste, -ist, considered by French etymologists to have arisen through false analogy with words like ministre. Found in OF. at an early date, as in evangelistre (12–13th c. in Godef. Compl.), beside evangeliste; so choristre, decretistre, legistre, listre or litre (reader), etc. From OF., these forms passed into English, where they were spelt first -istre, as in alkamystre, decretistre, divinistre, legistre, listre, queristre; afterwards -ister, as in alchimister, chorister, palmister, sophister. In this latter form, the -er was app. associated with the native suffix -er, which appears as an addition in many nouns denoting office or occupation, derived from or through Fr., as astrologer, astronomer, geographer, parishioner, practitioner, † musicianer, etc.