Donoure

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a person who gives a gift, grant, or benefit to another
2. Old-fashioned word meaning someone who bestows money, property, or favours upon another person
3. A giver in the older sense, one who presents something freely to a recipient

Etymology: This is a Middle English spelling of the word now written "donor," and the final "e" reflects how Middle English handled such nouns, not a different sense. It was borrowed from Anglo-French "doneour," which came from Latin "donator," meaning "giver." That Latin noun was formed from "donare," "to give," which in turn came from "donum," "gift." Medieval writers used it for anyone who bestowed something, whether a benefactor granting land to a church or a person giving money to a cause. The modern spelling settled as English spelling standardized, and the core sense of giving has remained unchanged.