says E. Adams (English Language,) properly means a bar-maid; “-ster” is the Anglo-Saxon feminine suffix -estre, which remains in spin-ster (a female spinner).
⁂ This is only a half-truth. After the thirteenth century, the suffix -ster was used for an agent of eithersex. We have barrister, gamester, punster, etc., and Wickliffe uses songster for a male singer (See Dr. Morris: Historic Outlines, p. 89.)
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