स्वसृ

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *swásā (“sister”), from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr (“sister”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬓𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬀𐬭 (xᵛaŋhar), Persian خواهر (xwâhar), Latin soror, Old Prussian swestro, Old Church Slavonic сестра (sestra), Tocharian A ṣar, Old English sweoster (whence English sister).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /sʋɐ́.sr̩/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /s̪ʋɐ.s̪r̩/

स्वसृ • (svásṛ) stem, f

1. a sister

   Synonym: भगिनी (bhaginī)

   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.71.1:

     अप॒ स्वसु॑र् उ॒षसो॒ नग् जि॑हीते रि॒णक्ति॑ कृ॒ष्णीर्॑ अरु॒षाय॒ पन्था॑म्।
     अश्वा॑मघा॒ गोम॑घा वां हुवेम॒ दिवा॒ नक्तं॒ शरु॑म् अ॒स्मद् यु॑योतम्॥

     ápa svásur uṣáso nág jihīte riṇákti kṛṣṇī́r aruṣā́ya pánthām.
     áśvāmaghā gómaghā vāṃ huvema dívā náktaṃ śárum asmád yuyotam.

     The Night retireth from the Dawn her Sister; the Dark one yieldeth to the Red her pathway.
     Let us invoke you rich in steeds and cattle - by day and night keep far from us the arrow.

Later, especially in Mahābhārata:

• Dardic:
  • Dameli: (pas)
  • Gawar-Bati: (sasī)
  • Grangali: (pas)
  • Kalami: (išpō)
  • Khowar: اِسپُسار (ispusár)
  • Kohistani Shina: (săs)
  • Northeast Pashayi: (sawō)
  • Northwest Pashayi: (sāī)
  • Shina: (sa)
  • Shumashti: (pas)
  • Tirahi: (spas)
  • Torwali: شُو (šū)
• Gandhari: 𐨯𐨿𐨤𐨯𐨂 (spasu)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀲𑀲𑀸 (sasā)
• → Bengali: স্বসা (swasā)

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “svásr̥”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press