-estere
Middle English
Alternative forms
- -ester, -estre, -ister, -istre, -star, -stare, -ster, -stere, -uster, -ysstere
Etymology
Inherited from Old English -estre, from Proto-West Germanic *-astrijā. The change from -estre to -estere is probably due to analogy with -ere and apocopated forms of this suffix (i.e. -ester).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /-(ə)stər(ə)/, /-(ə)strə/
Suffix
-estere
- Forms (often feminine) agent nouns from other nouns or verbs; -ster, -ress.
Usage notes
- Some nouns formed with this suffix exclusively refer to women throughout the Middle English period, while others come to refer to men as well; a few Middle English formations (e.g. demestere) are only found referring to men.
Derived terms
Middle English words suffixed with -estere
Descendants
- English: -ster
- ⇒ English: -stress
- Scots: -ster
References
- “--estre, -(e)ster, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.