deemster
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English demester, demster, equivalent to deem (“to judge”) + -ster.
Noun edit
deemster (plural deemsters)
- (now dialectal, Isle of Man) A judge; one who pronounces sentence or doom.
- 1767, The Gentleman's and London Magazine:
- If you hire a house for a year, and before the end of a month, happen to disagree with your landlord, he goes to the Deemster, and tells him, that he suspects you intend to leave the island, without paying his rent; […]
Related terms edit
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Dutch deemster, demster (“dark”), from Old Dutch *thimster (in the compound thimsternisse (“darkness”)), from Proto-West Germanic *þimstr.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
deemster m (uncountable)
Synonyms edit
- deemstering
- halfdonker
- halfduister
- schemerdonker
- schemerlicht
- schemering
- tweedonker
- tweelicht
- wegdeemsteren