'pleasure-giver' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'pleasure' and the agent noun 'giver' (from 'give' + the agentive suffix '-er').

'pleasure' comes into English via Old French 'plaisir' (also spelled 'plesir'), ultimately from Latin 'placēre' meaning 'to please'. 'give' descends from Old English 'giefan' (also spelled 'gifan'); the agentive '-er' is a productive English suffix. The compound 'pleasure-giver' is a straightforward modern compound of these elements.

Initially, the components meant 'to please' ('pleasure') and 'one who gives' ('giver'); combined they retain the literal sense 'one who gives pleasure' with little semantic shift.