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 edit

Etymology edit

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 edit

IPA^(key): /ˈswes.tɛːr/

Noun edit

*swestēr f

sister

Inflection edit

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 edit

Proto-West Germanic: *swester
- Old English: sweostor, swustor; swester, suoester, soester; swuster; swæstar, swestar, swystor, swystar; sweoster, swystar, swyster
  - 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
East Germanic
- Gothic: 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍂 (swistar)
- Crimean Gothic: schwester