English Borrowed the Word Sister From Norse
A sister is a female sibling. English replaced its own inherited word with the Norse one, which almost never happens with close family terms.
A sister is a female sibling. Languages guard their family words fiercely, yet English gave one up: Old English had *sweostor*, and Norse settlers brought *systir*, and the borrowed form won. Alongside *they*, *them* and *their*, it is one of the clearest marks Norse left on the most intimate parts of English vocabulary.
- A female sibling. *My older sister.*
- A nun. *Sister Agnes.*
- A senior nurse (British). *The ward sister.*
- A member of a group. *Sisters in the movement.*
- Sister ship — one built to the same design. *Her sister ship sank in 1912.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sister | An only sister. |
| Plural | sisters | Three sisters. |
| Adjective | sisterly | Sisterly advice. |
| Abstract | sisterhood | A sense of sisterhood. |
| Compound | half-sister | A half-sister in Leeds. |
- My sister lives in Bristol.The ordinary sense.
- Ask the ward sister about visiting hours.British hospital use.
- The two companies are sister firms.Attributive, meaning related.
Words English took from Old Norse
- Sister — replacing Old English sweostor
- They, them, their — pronouns, an unusual borrowing
- Sky, skin, skirt — the sk- sound is a good Norse clue
- Egg — replaced the native *ey*
- Window — from *vindauga*, wind-eye
Old Norse *systir*, which displaced Old English *sweostor*. Both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root, seen also in Latin *soror* and German *Schwester*.
Why is a nurse called sister in Britain?
Because nursing in Britain grew out of religious orders, where nurses were nuns. The title stayed for senior ward nurses.
Is sister related to Latin soror?
Yes, both come from the same ancient root. Soror gave English sorority and sororal.