suff., casual variant of -ER, -OR, suffix of agent, and -ER suffix of comparative. Very common in north. dial., as syngar singer, forebear predecessor, soutar sutor; hear higher. And in modern Eng. in beggar, liar, pedlar. Probably imitating the refashioned scholar, vicar, pillar for earlier scoler, viker, piler: see -AR1, and -AR2, above.
