An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Nüster

by Friedrich Kluge

Nüster, feminine, ‘nostril,’ Modern High German only, from Low German nuster, English nostril, is demonstrably a compound, signifying literally ‘nose-hole’ (compare Anglo-Saxon nœs-þŷrel, nos-þyrl), We cannot so positively assume that the German word is also a compound, for the l of the English word is wanting. Hence some etymologists regard it as an r- derivative from nos- (a graded form of Nase, compare earlier Modern High German nuseln, in Logau, ‘to snivel’), with a t inserted, and connect it with Lithuanian nasraì, ‘mouth, jaw,’ and Old Slovenian nozdri, ‘nostrils.’ Niesen is not allied; compare Nase.