Banterer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who engages in playful or teasing conversation characterized by light, witty remarks and friendly joking
2. Someone who habitually makes clever or humorous comments intended to amuse others or provoke a fun exchange
3. An individual skilled in exchanging lively, amusing dialogue marked by good-natured teasing and spirited repartee

Etymology: "Banterer" is about as plain as English word-building gets: it is "banter" with the suffix "-er" attached, the same ending that turns "bake" into "baker" or "teach" into "teacher." Each part carries its own history. The suffix "-er" comes from Old English and was used to name the person who does a thing, so a banterer is simply one who banters. The more interesting story lies in the root. "Banter" is itself of uncertain origin, and its early sense was closer to mockery or ridicule than to the friendly teasing the word suggests today. Writers of the 1600s used it for ridiculing talk, so the good-natured play in "banterer" is a later softening of a sharper original meaning.

Synonyms: teaser, jester, mocking person, railer, joker