Annotator

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual or system that supplies explanations and observations to improve the interpretation of written content
2. A human or automated entity that adds notes, clarifications, and remarks to a literary piece to facilitate better comprehension
3. A person or device that provides explanatory comments to clarify a text

Etymology: The agent suffix "-or" has a long pedigree behind it. It descends from a Proto-Indo-European element that formed agent nouns, passed through Proto-Italic and Latin "-tor" and "-ator", then into Old French as "-eor" and Middle English as "-our", before English settled it as "-or". So an annotator is, at root, simply "one who annotates." The base verb "annotate" comes from Latin "annotare", meaning to note down or write something beside a text, built from "ad" (to, toward) and "notare" (to mark). That is the original job in miniature: a note set beside a passage, pointing the reader toward its meaning. The "annotator" follows the same logic, taking the act of making those marginal notes and attaching it to the person, or system, doing the job.

Synonyms: commentator, notator, explanator