zuster

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch suster, from Old Dutch swester, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr. The sense “nurse” from the fact that (before the Reformation and in Catholic areas until recently) the majority of nurses were nuns; already in Middle Dutch generalized to lay nurses.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈzʏstər/
audio (file)
Hyphenation: zus‧ter
Rhymes: -ʏstər

Noun

zuster f (plural zusters, diminutive zustertje n)

(somewhat formal) sister (female sibling)
Synonym: zus
sister (fictive female kin member)
sister (nun)
Synonym: non
(female) nurse (woman who provides care for the ill)
Synonyms: pleegzuster, verpleegster, ziekenzuster

Usage notes

(female medical nurse): Zuster generally is not used anymore as a job title in medical organisations, where verpleegkundige, verpleger or verpleegster (the latter specifically for women) are the usual titles. It remains a common term in everyday language, however.

Derived terms

dagzuster
hoofdzuster
nachtzuster
opperzuster
pleegzuster
tweelingzuster
verzusteren
ziekenzuster
zus
zusterliefde
zusterlijk
zusterschap

Descendants

Afrikaans: suster
Berbice Creole Dutch: sosro, sosoro
Skepi Creole Dutch: soster
→ Caribbean Hindustani: sester
→ Caribbean Javanese: soster, sester
→ Indonesian: suster
→ Saramaccan: soosútu