1876: Nuance around 'ster Feb 3, 2020

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The suffix '-ster' is traditionally the feminine equivalent for -er/-or, and many pairs still exist such as 'webster' from 'webber' (i.e. 'weaver') or 'brewster' and 'brewer'; if you have others, leave a comment. The problem with this view is, while it is certainly true for some, this wouldn't really make sense if you look at the rest of the list. Not only 'gangster', but also 'barrister' and others, which up until recently were only men—are often considered to have the '-ster' ending, so it is important to remember that even by the time of Middle English, this was less meaningful. A few are just red herrings too, like 'minister', which has a '-ter' suffix with a similar meaning attached to the same root as 'minus' i.e. lesser leader to a master, which has the same '-ter' suffix. There will be more on this tomorrow.
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