A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. [1] The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familial relationships. [2] A full sister is a first-degree relative.
The English word sister comes from Old Norse systir which itself derives from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, both of which have the same meaning, i.e. sister. Some studies have found that sisters display more traits indicating jealousy around their siblings than their male counterparts, brothers. [3] In some cultures, sisters are afforded a role of being under the protection by male siblings, especially older brothers, from issues ranging from bullies or sexual advances by womanizers. [4] In some quarters, the term sister has gradually broadened its colloquial meaning to include individuals stipulating kinship. [5] In response, in order to avoid equivocation, some publishers prefer the usage of female sibling over sister. [6] Males with a twin sister sometimes view her as their female alter ego, or what they would have been like if they had two X chromosomes. [7] A study in Perth, Australia found that girls having only youngers brothers resulted in a chastity effect: losing their virginity on average more than a year later than average. This has been hypothesized as being attributed to the pheromones in their brothers' sweat and household-related errands. [8]
Various studies have shown that older sisters are likely to give a varied gender role to their younger siblings, as well as being more likely to develop a close bond with their younger siblings. [9] Older sisters are more likely to play with their younger siblings. [10] Younger siblings display more needy behavior when near their older sister [11] and are more likely to be tolerant of an older sister's bad behavior. [12] Boys with only one older sister are more likely to display stereotypically male behavior, and such masculine boys increased their masculine behavior with the more sisters they have. [13] The reverse is true for young boys with several sisters, as they tend to be feminine, however, they outgrow this by the time they approach pubescence. [14] Boys with older sisters were less likely to be delinquent or have emotional and behavioral disorders. [15] A younger sister is less likely to be scolded by older siblings than a younger brother. [16] The most common recreational activity between older brother/younger sister pairs is art drawing. [9] Some studies also found a correlation between having an older sister and constructive discussions about safe sexual practices. [17] Some studies have shown that men without sisters are more likely to be ineffectual at courtship and romantic relationships. [18]
The dictionary definition of sister at Wiktionary| Authority control databases: National |
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