inventor
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inventor
A person who develops or discovers a new thing, a new method, or a new concept. The female counterpart is 'die Erfinderin' (female inventor).
Thomas Edison gilt als der Erfinder der langlebigen Glühbirne.
Thomas Edison is considered the inventor of the long-lasting light bulb.
'Der Erfinder' (the inventor) is derived directly from the verb 'erfinden' (to invent). The ending '-er' is attached to the verb stem to indicate the male person who performs the action—a very common pattern in German.
Wer hat eigentlich das Rad erfunden?
Who actually invented the wheel?
To connect the invention with the inventor, you use either the genitive or the preposition 'von' (of/by) with the dative. The genitive is more formal.
Johannes Gutenberg ist der Erfinder des modernen Buchdrucks.
Johannes Gutenberg is the inventor of modern book printing.
A very common formulation for attributing an invention to someone is the expression 'gilt als der Erfinder von etwas' (is considered the inventor of something).
Karl Drais gilt als der Erfinder des Fahrrads.
Karl Drais is considered the inventor of the bicycle.
developer
Der Erfinder refers to the original innovation behind a new thing, method, or concept. Der Entwickler designs and works on a technical product, process, or concept until it is ready for the market. In principle, one person can fulfill both roles.
Der Erfinder hatte die ursprüngliche Idee für das neue Messgerät.
The inventor had the original idea for the new measuring device.
Der Entwickler machte das neue Messgerät nach vielen Tests marktreif.
After many tests, the developer brought the new measuring device to market readiness.
