-estere
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Middle English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Inherited from Old English -estre, from Proto-West Germanic *-astrijā. The change from -estre to -estere is probably due to analogy with -ere and apocopated forms of this suffix (i.e. -ester).
Pronunciation[edit]
Suffix[edit]
-estere
Usage notes[edit]
- Some nouns formed with this suffix exclusively refer to women throughout the Middle English period, while others come to refer to men as well; a few Middle English formations (e.g. demestere) are only found referring to men.
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
References[edit]
- “--estre, -(e)ster, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.