syster

Middle English

Noun

syster

Alternative form of suster

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

søster

Etymology 1

From Old Norse systir, from Proto-Norse ᛊᚹᛖᛊᛏᚨᚱ (swestar), from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr (“sister”). Akin to English sister.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /²sʏstɛr/

Noun

syster f (definite singular systera, indefinite plural systrer, definite plural systrene)

sister (female with same parents)
Eg fekk ei syster då eg var tre.
I got a sister when I was three.
sister (a female member of a religious community)
a female nurse

Inflection

Historical inflection of syster

	indefinite singular	definite singular	indefinite plural	definite plural
1901	ei syster	systeri	syster (systrar)	systerne (systrane)
1917		systera, systeri
1938		systera [systeri]	systrer	systrene
2012 (current)	ei syster	systera	systrer	systrene

Forms in italics are currently considered non-standard. Forms in [brackets] were official, but considered second-tier. Forms in (parentheses) were allowed under Midlandsnormalen.

Derived terms

systerskip

References

“syster” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology 2

From Old Norse systr, from Proto-Germanic *swistriz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsʏstər/

Noun

syster

indefinite plural of syster, alternative form of systrer

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish systir, from Old Norse systir, from Proto-Norse ᛊᚹᛖᛊᛏᚨᚱ (swestar), from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr (“sister”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsʏsːtɛr/
Audio: (file)

Noun

syster c

a sister (woman or girl having the same parents)
a nurse (in particular as address)
a nun; a female member of a religious community

Declension

Declension of syster
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	syster	systern	systrar	systrarna
Genitive	systers	systerns	systrars	systrarnas

Synonyms

syrra (colloquial)

Related terms

References

syster in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Anagrams

styres, syrets