Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swestēr

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Remodeled based on analogy with *-tēr kinship words, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr. This may well have been triggered by the insertion of *-t- in the cluster *-sr- that arose in several oblique case forms, a change which is also found in *þimstr (“dark, dusky”) and *Austrǭ (“springtime, Easter; a goddess of spring and fertility”) and is therefore likely a regular sound change in Proto-Germanic.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈswes.tɛːr/

Noun

*swestēr f

sister

Inflection

r-stemDeclension of *swestēr (r-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*swestēr	*swistriz
vocative	*swester	*swistriz
accusative	*swesterų	*swestrunz
genitive	*swesturz	*swestrǫ̂
dative	*swistri	*swestrumaz
instrumental	*swestrē	*swestrumiz

Descendants

Old English: sweostor, sweoster, swester, suoester, swustor
- Middle English: suster, cyster, cystyr, scyster, sister, sistir, soster, souster, sustir, syster, systir, systyr; swuster; sussterr; zoster (some forms influenced by Old Norse)
  - English: sister
    - → Gulf Arabic: سِسْتَر‎ (sistar, “female nurse”)
    - → Japanese: シスター (shisutā)
    - → Korean: 시스터 (siseuteo)
  - Scots: sister, syster
  - Yola: zister
Old Frisian: swester
- North Frisian:
  - Söl'ring: Sester
  - Fering: saster
  - Öömrang: saster
  - Halunder: Söster
  - Bökingharde: süster
- Saterland Frisian: Suster
- West Frisian: suster
Old Saxon: swestar
- Middle Low German: süster, syster, swester
  - Low German: swester, süster, syster
  - Plautdietsch: Sesta
Old Dutch: *swestar
- Middle Dutch: suster
  - Dutch: zuster
    - Afrikaans: suster
    - Berbice Creole Dutch: sosro, sosoro
    - Skepi Creole Dutch: soster
    - → Caribbean Hindustani: sester
    - → Caribbean Javanese: soster, sester
    - → Indonesian: suster
    - → Saramaccan: soosútu
  - Limburgish: zöster
Old High German: swester
- Middle High German: swëster, suster, süster
  - Alemannic German: Schwöschter
    Italian Walser: schweschter
  - Bavarian:
    Cimbrian: sbestar, sbéstar, sbeistar
    Mòcheno: schbester
    Udinese: schbeschter, schbeister, sghbeistar
  - Central Franconian: Sester, Söster (obsolete)
  - German: Schwester
    - → Central Franconian: Schwester
    - → Luxembourgish: Schwëster
  - Hunsrik: Schwesder
  - Luxembourgish: Sëschter (archaic)
  - Pennsylvania German: Schweschder
  - Vilamovian: syster
  - Yiddish: שוועסטער‎ (shvester)
Proto-Norse: ᛊᚹᛖᛊᛏᚨᚱ (swestar)
- Old Norse: systir
  - Icelandic: systir
  - Faroese: systir
  - Norwegian Bokmål: søster
  - Norwegian Nynorsk: syster
  - Old Swedish: systir
    - Swedish: syster
  - Danish: søster
  - Old Gutnish: systir
    - Gutnish: systar
  - Westrobothnian: söster, syster, söyster
East Germanic
- Gothic: 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍂 (swistar)
- Crimean Gothic: schwester