Schwester

• Sester, Söster (obsolete)

From Middle High German swëster, from Old High German swester, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr.

The native form, at least in western dialects, is Söster with swe- → sü- (compare Dutch zuster). The modern form is based on German Schwester.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃʋɛstʌ/

Schwester f (plural Schwestere, diminutive Schwesterche)

1. sister

   Meng Schwester es net ens e Johr aaler wie ich.

   My sister is less than a year older than me.

2. nun
3. nurse

• Schw. (abbreviation)

From Middle High German swëster, from Old High German swester, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr.

Compare Low German swester, Dutch zuster, English sister, Danish søster, Swedish syster.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃvɛstɐ/, [ˈʃʋɛstɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstɐ

Schwester f (genitive Schwester, plural Schwestern, diminutive Schwesterchen n or Schwesterlein n)

1. sister

   Coordinate term: Bruder (“brother”)

   Meine Schwester kommt morgen. ― My sister is coming tomorrow.

2. (chiefly colloquial, short for Krankenschwester) nurse; by extension used to refer to any medical staff that is not a doctor (usually, but not necessarily, confined to female staff)
3. nurse; used as a title of address for nurses
4. (Christianity) sister; nun; used particularly, but not only, as a title of address

• Kinderschwester
• Krankenschwester
• Ordensschwester
• schwesterlich

• → Silesian: šwestera

• “Schwester” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Schwester” in Duden online
• “Schwester” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Schwester”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

• schwester (Veldeke spelling)
• Schwäste̩r (Rheinische Dokumenta spelling)
• Schwässter (Eupen)

Borrowed from German Schwester. Doublet of Söster, which is the native equivalent.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃwɛs.təʁ/, [ˈʒwɛs-]
• Rhymes: -ɛstəʁ

Schwester n (plural Schwesters or Schwestersch, diminutive Schwesterke) (German-based spelling)

1. sister