-oursuffix

Etymology: As suffix of agent nouns < Anglo-Norman -ur and Anglo-Norman and Old French -eour, -our (French -eur -eur suffix), ultimately < classical Latin -tōr- , -tor (see -or suffix; compare also -ier suffix). As suffix of nouns of condition < Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French -our, Anglo-Norman and Old French -ur (French -eur ) < classical Latin -ōr- , -or (see -or suffix).The earlier spelling of the suffix -or , regularly used in Middle English and early modern English, and still commonly retained (in Great Britain, but not in the U.S.) in some words of Middle English age, or of subsequent formation on the pattern of these: see -or suffix. In early modern English there is evidence from several orthoepists of an alternative pronunciation with a diphthong, representing Middle English long ū : see E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §281. (i) In agent nouns. The spelling with -our survived into early modern English in words now spelt with -or (in some cases with -er ), or which became obsolete before the change of spelling to -or , and is especially seen in Scottish sources, e.g. accusour , variant of accusor n., componitour n., countour n., inhabitour , variant of inhabitor n. Apart from saviour n., the only words in which this is now found are those with archaic or historical status, in which the older spelling became fossilized, e.g. disour n., faitour n., tregetour n. (ii) In nouns of state or condition. In a sizeable group of words which entered the language before 1500, -our was a common spelling down to about 1800, in more or less free variation with -or . The latter became the usual spelling in all such words in the U.S., but in Britain about two dozen have remained with -our , e.g. candour n., colour n.¹, honour n., splendour n. A few formations on English first elements are found in later Middle English and in Older Scots, e.g. dreadour n., quenchour n., raddour n. In some words -our represents an alteration of some other ending, either of Old French (ultimately Latin) origin (e.g. arbour n., armour n., demeanour n., endeavour n., succour n.), or of Germanic origin (e.g. harbour n.¹ and neighbour n.); these also are spelt with -or in the U.S.