Sibling - Etymology

Etymology

Sibling is a modern revival of the Old English word sibling, meaning "relative, kinsman", a derivative of sibb "kinship, relationship", from Proto-Germanic *sibjō "race", from Proto-Indo-European *s(w)ebʰ- "one's own people, tribe". The term, along with its shortened form sib, may have been in use dialectally throughout the Middle English and Early Modern English periods, but was officially recognized c. 1903 when it came into common use in anthropology as a translation of the German genetics term Geschwister ("a brother or sister"). The word is further related to dialectal term sibred ("relationship"); as well as to the second part of the word gossip, from Old English gōdsibb, meaning "a sponsor, close relation".

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