Meaning of もの in this title/name


An enemy (a monster) in a game I was reading about is called
[時を食らうもの]{ときをくらうもの}, which is translated as " _Time Devourer_ ". Is the もの
used as sort of a -er suffix, or does it have a different function?




> [時]{とき}を[食]{く}らうもの, which is translated as "Time Devourer"

As @bjorn says in the comment, the もの can be [者]{もの} "person/someone", as well
as [物]{もの} "thing/object/something".

It's (perhaps intentionally) written in Hiragana because it's referring to a
monster.

> Is the もの used as sort of a -er suffix, or does it have a different
> function?

The もの is a noun here, not a suffix. 時を食らうもの is a noun phrase, the relative
clause 時を食らう modifying the noun もの.

「［[時]{とき}を[食]{く}らう］もの」-- _lit._ "someone/something [that eats time]" → "a time
eater, a time devourer"

As pointed out by @bjorn, [者]{しゃ} is read as しゃ when used as a suffix. eg
「[担当者]{たんとうしゃ}」 person in charge 「[被害者]{ひがいしゃ}」 victim 「[技術者]{ぎじゅつしゃ}」
engineer ([者]{もの} can be used in compound words, too. eg 「[働]{はたら}き[者]{もの}」
hard worker 「[独]{ひと}り[者]{もの}」 unmarried person)  
[物]{ぶつ} can also be used as a suffix. eg 「[爆発物]{ばくはつぶつ}」 explosives
「[出版物]{しゅっぱんぶつ}」 publications ([物]{もの} in compound nouns: 「[夏物]{なつもの}」 summer
clothing 「[縁起物]{えんぎもの}」 good luck charm)




> [時]{とき}を[食]{く}らうもの, which is translated as "Time Devourer"

As @bjorn says in the comment, the もの can be [者]{もの} "person/someone", as well
as [物]{もの} "thing/object/something".

It's (perhaps intentionally) written in Hiragana because it's referring to a
monster.

> Is the もの used as sort of a -er suffix, or does it have a different
> function?

The もの is a noun here, not a suffix. 時を食らうもの is a noun phrase, the relative
clause 時を食らう modifying the noun もの.

「［[時]{とき}を[食]{く}らう］もの」-- _lit._ "someone/something [that eats time]" → "a time
eater, a time devourer"

As pointed out by @bjorn, [者]{しゃ} is read as しゃ when used as a suffix. eg
「[担当者]{たんとうしゃ}」 person in charge 「[被害者]{ひがいしゃ}」 victim 「[技術者]{ぎじゅつしゃ}」
engineer ([者]{もの} can be used in compound words, too. eg 「[働]{はたら}き[者]{もの}」
hard worker 「[独]{ひと}り[者]{もの}」 unmarried person)  
[物]{ぶつ} can also be used as a suffix. eg 「[爆発物]{ばくはつぶつ}」 explosives
「[出版物]{しゅっぱんぶつ}」 publications ([物]{もの} in compound nouns: 「[夏物]{なつもの}」 summer
clothing 「[縁起物]{えんぎもの}」 good luck charm)

