Giver

How to spell giver

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce giver

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does giver mean?

1. nounA person who gives something, especially generously or willingly.

Giver in a sentence

• The charity relies on every regular giver for its monthly budget.

• As a natural giver, she always arrived with food for the office.

Where does giver come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built from the verb 'give', which comes from the Old English giefan, meaning 'to hand over, grant, or bestow'. That verb traces back to a shared Germanic root that also gave Dutch 'geven' and German 'geben', all carrying the same core idea of passing something to another person. The agent suffix '-er', also of Germanic origin, simply turns the verb into the person who performs it, the way 'bake' yields 'baker' and 'lead' yields 'leader'. The spelling looks tidier than the older forms because the harsh Old English consonants softened over the centuries, leaving the modern 'g' followed by a long vowel sound. The single, simple ending '-er' is the only point worth watching, since some writers reflexively reach for the rarer '-or' agent ending seen in words like 'donor'.

How the word is built

• give (from Old English giefan: to hand over, grant)
• -er (agent suffix: one who does)