Accompanier

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈkʌmp(ə)nɪə/

Definitions

1. A person or entity that aids another by adding support or enhancement in activities
2. A person or thing that goes along with someone or something else for support or company
3. An individual who joins another to provide assistance or complement their presence

Etymology: The noun "accompanier" is a plain English formation: the verb "accompany" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, giving a literal sense of "one who accompanies." Its ancestry runs through the verb, which came into English from Old French "acompagner," itself built from "a-" (from Latin "ad," meaning "to") and "compagnon," a word rooted in Latin "compānio," which joined "com-" ("with") and "pānis" ("bread"). The Latin sense was literally "one who shares bread," a companion at the table, and that domestic image of breaking bread together is what lies beneath the whole family of words. Once "accompany" had settled into English, the agent ending was added to make a person-noun. The Middle English verb "accompanien" appeared first, and the "-er" suffix, inherited from Old English "-ere" and ultimately from Latin "-ārius," gave speakers a ready way to name the one doing the action. The noun is therefore less an old word in its own right than a later convenience built on a verb that had already travelled a long way.

Synonyms: companion, partner, associate