sister language

noun

A cognate language; a language that is related to another by virtue of descending from a common ancestral language.

OriginGerman Schwestersprache →
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Meanings

nounsister language (plural sister languages)

plural sister languages

  1. human sciencesA cognate language; a language that is related to another by virtue of descending from a common ancestral language.

Origin

  1. GermanSchwestersprache
  2. Englishsister language

Perhaps a calque of German Schwestersprache.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch zustertaal
  • zustertaalTranslations
Finnish sisarkieli
  • sisarkieliTranslations
French langue sœur
  • langue sœurTranslations
German Schwestersprache
  • SchwesterspracheTranslations
Hungarian testvérnyelv
  • testvérnyelvTranslations
Italian lingua sorella
  • lingua sorellaTranslations
Polish język pokrewny
  • język pokrewnyTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

sister language. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sister%20language

MLA

“sister language.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sister%20language. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sister language,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sister%20language.

Source: sister language on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.