'subtracter' originates from English, specifically formed from the verb 'subtract' plus the agentive suffix '-er'; 'subtract' ultimately comes from Latin 'subtrahere', where 'sub-' meant 'from under' and 'trahere' meant 'to draw'.

'subtracter' was created in Modern English by adding the suffix '-er' to 'subtract'. The verb 'subtract' entered English from Latin 'subtrahere' (via Late Latin forms such as 'subtract-') and was adapted into English usage in the early modern period.

Initially, Latin 'subtrahere' meant 'to draw away (from beneath)'; over time this evolved into the sense 'to take away' or 'to remove', and 'subtracter' came to mean 'one that takes away' or 'a device that performs subtraction'.