Networkers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who actively seek to establish and nurture connections to enhance their career opportunities and social spheres
2. Individuals devoted to creating and sustaining relationships that facilitate mutual support and resource sharing in various contexts
3. Individuals who engage in forming and maintaining connections to expand their social or professional circles

Etymology: "Networkers" is the plural of "networker," a word formed in English by adding the suffix "-er" to "network." The "network" part traces back to the physical sense of a net: an Old English "net" combined with "work," meaning a woven or crossing arrangement of threads, which by the 1500s was used figuratively for any interlaced system of connected parts. The "-er" ending has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Latin suffix "-arius," which denoted a person connected with or engaged in something, passed through Old French "-ier," and entered Middle English as "-er." Attaching it to a noun to name a person who does the activity is one of English's most productive habits, which is why we have "baker," "driver," and countless newer formations. "Networker" is thus a recent compound: a person who works at making and maintaining connections, the "network" being the web of contacts and the suffix naming the doer. The plural simply adds the usual "-s."

Synonyms: connectors, collaborators, associates