# escapee

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 10, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239 "2003-03-10T05:38:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239/1 "2003-03-10T05:38:30Z")

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Why do people use the word “escapee” instead of “escaper”? In every other use of the personal suffix “-ee”, it is used to indicate the passive party in some kind of action:

payor/payee  
grantor/grantee  
lessor/lessee  
mortgagor/mortgagee  
trainer/trainee

Escaping does not strike me as a passive activity.

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**Author:** ![expect\_the\_unexpecteb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@expect\_the\_unexpecteb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expect_the_unexpecteb)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239/2 "2003-03-10T05:49:33Z")

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Reminds me of the Cold War saying: In Russian, “to be silent” is an active verb.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239/3 "2003-03-10T08:51:05Z")

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The Merriam-Webster _Collegiate_ gives three uses for the -ee suffix:

1. recipient or beneficiary of (a specified action) (appoint_ee)_ (grant_ee)._

2. a person furnished with (a specified thing) (patent_ee_)

3. a person that performs (a specified action) (escap_ee_)

Number 3 seems to be uncommon, but perfectly within the rules.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escapee/160239/4 "2003-03-10T23:34:39Z")

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Oh, I’m aware of definition 3 in Merriam-Webster. I’m not wondering whether this exception exists; I am wondering _why_ this exception exists.