Sistuh
By DAN LANGFORD
An old Southern habit, now mostly vanished in time, was that of younger siblings calling the oldest sister in their family not by her first name, but simply “Sister,” which was usually pronounced “Sistuh.” This was almost always the case with a first-born child who happened to be a girl. It was a badge of distinction, and younger siblings used the quaint honorific until they died.
Occasionally the nickname would totally eclipse the girl’s name for friends and neighbors as well, and she would be known to everyone as “Sistuh” or “Sis” for her entire life. When courtesy titles came into play, the result could be funny — “Aunt Sistuh” and “Miss Sistuh” were heard, perhaps not commonly, but neither rarely, around the South in days gone by.
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