syster

Middle English

Noun

syster

1. 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)

1. sister (female with same parents)

   Eg fekk ei syster då eg var tre.

   I got a sister when I was three.

   Drikk so my’ du lyster, tunna hev ei syster

   Drink so much as you want, the barrel has a sister (a classic Norwegian drinking rhyme)

2. sister (a female member of a religious community)
3. a female nurse

Inflection

Historical inflection of syster

		singular		plural
		indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
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

1. 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): /²sʏsːtɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

syster c

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

Declension

Declension of syster

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	syster	systers
	definite	systern	systerns
plural	indefinite	systrar	systrars
	definite	systrarna	systrarnas

Synonyms

• syrra (colloquial)

Related terms

• faster
• halvsyster
• moster
• sjuksyster
• styvsyster
• syrra
• systerbarn
• systerbolag
• systerdotter
• systerfartyg
• systerförening
• systerföretag
• systerkaka
• systerkyrka
• systerlig
• systerorganisation
• systerparti
• systerprojekt
• systerskap
• systerskara
• systerson

References

• syster in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Anagrams

• styres, syrets