c. 1600, "native of or dweller in mountains," from mountain + -eer or from French montanier. The verb meaning "to be a mountain-climber" is from 1803 (compare electioneer). Related: Mountaineering.
Entries linking to mountaineer
mountain n.
"natural elevation rising more or less abruptly and attaining a conspicuous height," c. 1200, from Old French montaigne (Modern French montagne), from Vulgar Latin *montanea "mountain, mountain region," noun use of fem. of *montaneus "of a mountain, mountainous," from Latin montanus "mountainous, of mountains," from mons (genitive montis) "mountain" (from PIE root *men- (2) "to project").
Until 18c., applied to a fairly low elevation if it was prominent (such as Sussex Downs or the hills around Paris); compare hill (n.). As an adjective, "of or situated on a mountain," from late 14c.
Mountain dew "raw and inferior whiskey" is attested by 1839; earlier a type of Scotch whiskey (1816); Jamieson's 1825 "Supplement" to his Scottish dictionary defines it specifically as "A cant term for Highland whisky that has paid no duty." Mountain-climber is recorded from 1839; mountain-climbing from 1836. Mountain laurel is from 1754; mountain-lion "puma" is from 1849, American English; the mountain goat of the Western U.S. is so called by 1841 (by 1827 as Rocky Mountain goat).
-eer
noun word-forming element meaning "one who" (operates, produces, deals in); Englished form of French -ier, from Latin -arius, -iarius; compare -ary. Usually in English words of more recent borrowing from French; older words tend to keep -ier.
electioneer v.
"to try to influence an election by public speaking, solicitation of votes, etc.; to work for the success of a candidate or of a party in an election," 1760 (implied in verbal noun electioneering), from election, probably on model of auctioneer, as the verb engineer was not yet in use.