Keyboarders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who operates a keyboard, especially in a musical context; an individual skilled in typing or using a keyboard for computer tasks; someone engaged in the performance or support of keyboards in electronic music or production environments
2. An operator of a keyboard instrument, often in bands or studios; a typist or computer user proficient with keyboard input; a contributor to keyboard-centric music genres, typically in collaborative settings
3. An individual who plays keyboard instruments, like pianos or synthesizers; a user adept in inputting data via a keyboard; someone involved in creating or performing music primarily through keyboard technology

Etymology: The word "keyboarders" is simply the plural of "keyboarder," and the history here is plain. It is built from "keyboard" plus the agent suffix "-er," which English inherited through Middle English from Old French "-ier," itself from Latin "-arius." The suffix has been attached to countless nouns over the centuries to name the person who does a thing, as in "baker" or "driver." The base word "keyboard" is a compound of "key" and "board." "Key" descends from Old English "cǣġ," while "board" comes from Old English "bord," a flat plank. Early keyboards were literal boards fitted with levers or keys, and the term came to describe the panel of keys on an organ or piano before it was applied to typewriters and computers.

Synonyms: typists, keyboardists, data entry clerks, computer operators