informant
UK: ɪnˈfɔːmənt | US: ɪnˈfɔːrmənt
n. a person who provides information, especially secretly to the police or authorities
n. (linguistics) a native speaker who provides data for language research
The word "informant" combines the Latin-derived root "inform," meaning "to give knowledge or shape," with the suffix "-ant," which denotes a person performing an action (from Latin "-antem"). The term originally referred to someone who "informs" or provides knowledge, later specializing in contexts like law enforcement (secret informers) and linguistics (data providers). The logic follows the Latin "informare" (to shape, educate) + agentive suffix, reflecting a role of active information-sharing.
The police relied on an anonymous informant to solve the case.
In fieldwork, linguists often work closely with a local informant.
The journalist protected her informant’s identity.
The informant provided crucial details about the smuggling ring.
As an informant, he helped document the dialect’s unique features.