I noticed that all these words have the same ending: mother, father, brother, other and another. Does anyone know what the suffix -ther means? Or is it a compound suffix: -th &-er? Thank you
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Given the general level here I will not chance an answer, but I think it is worth noting that in Swedish and German and even in French father/mother/brother/sister all end with a similar sound.– Law29Apr 18, 2016 at 16:04
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4Strongly related: “th” in mother, father, brother— but not sister and Where do the words for daughter, son, aunt, uncle, mother, father, cousin, nephew, niece come from?– chosterApr 18, 2016 at 16:11
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1 Answer
It is possible (but not certain) that father, mother and brother share a suffix: compare Latin pater, mater and frater. I don't know that anybody has a convincing answer for what this suffix may mean - or more to the point, what the roots without the suffix might mean.
Other and another, though, do share a suffix meaning "one of two", also seen in English in "either/neither", "whether", but also in Latin alter ("one or other of two") and neuter ("neither"), in Greek heteros ("different") and in Russian vtoroy ("second").
answered Apr 18, 2016 at 16:03
