zuster

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch suster, from Old Dutch swester, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr. The sense “nurse” from the fact that (before the Reformation and in Catholic areas until recently) the majority of nurses were nuns; already in Middle Dutch generalized to lay nurses.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzʏstər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: zus‧ter
• Rhymes: -ʏstər

Noun

zuster f (plural zusters, diminutive zustertje n)

1. (somewhat formal, dated) sister (female sibling)

   Synonym: zus

2. sister (fictive female kin member)
3. sister (nun)

   Synonym: non

4. (female) nurse (woman who provides care for the ill)

   Synonyms: pleegzuster, verpleegster, ziekenzuster

Usage notes

• (female medical nurse): Zuster generally is not used anymore as a job title in medical organisations, where verpleegkundige, verpleger or verpleegster (the latter specifically for women) are the usual titles. It remains a common term in everyday language, however.

Derived terms

• dagzuster
• hoofdzuster
• nachtzuster
• opperzuster
• pleegzuster
• tweelingzuster
• verzusteren
• ziekenzuster
• zus
• zusterliefde
• zusterlijk
• zusterschap

Descendants

• Afrikaans: suster
• Berbice Creole Dutch: sosro, sosoro
• Skepi Creole Dutch: soster
• → Caribbean Hindustani: sester
• → Caribbean Javanese: soster, sester
• → Indonesian: suster
• → Saramaccan: soosútu

Indonesian

Noun

zuster (first-person possessive zusterku, second-person possessive zustermu, third-person possessive zusternya)

1. (dated) sister
2. (dated) nurse