'hitter' originates from Old English, specifically the verb 'hittan' (Middle English 'hitten'), where the root 'hit' meant 'to strike' or 'to come upon'. The agentive suffix '-er' (from Old English '-ere') was added to form 'hitter'.

'hitter' changed from the Old English/Middle English verb 'hittan'/'hitten' meaning 'to strike/meet' and later formed the noun by adding the agent suffix to create Middle English forms like 'hitter', eventually becoming the modern English 'hitter' and its plural 'hitters'.

Initially, the root verb meant 'to strike' or 'to come upon'; over time the derived noun came to mean 'one who strikes' (e.g., a batter or someone who hits), a meaning that has remained broadly consistent though extended metaphorically (e.g., 'hit makers', 'heavy hitters').