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

1. 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

• Proto-West Germanic: *swester
  • Old English: sweostor, swustor — Mercian, swester, suoester, soester — Northumbrian, swuster — West Saxon, swæstar, swestar, swystor, swystar — Anglian, sweoster, swystar, swyster
    • Middle English: suster, cyster, cystyr, scyster, sister, sistir, soster, souster, sustir, syster, systir, systyr, swuster (Early Middle English), sussterr (Ormulum), zoster (Kent) (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
• East Germanic
  • Gothic: 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍂 (swistar)
  • Crimean Gothic: schwester