viduus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪ.du.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.du.us]^[1]

Forms

viduus (feminine vidua, neuter viduum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wiþowo-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wi-dʰh₁-ew-o- (“separated”).^[2][1] Latin and Greek have an adjective for both sexes, while most other languages have only a feminine noun “widow”.^[2] Cognate with Sanskrit विधवा (vidhávā, “widow”), Old Irish fedb (“widow”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐍉 (widuwō, “widow”) and English widow.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.^[2][4] In Plautus a man boasts that he never let his wife sleep alone.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant deprived of a husband or wife, and the feminine vidua was a woman who had lost her husband by death or divorce.^[3] Horace uses it of trees that support no vine, and of unsupported vines.^[3] More generally it meant bereft or devoid of something, and of a kingdom or a sceptre, without its ruler.^[3]

In the Church a vidua could be a consecrated widow.^[5] It survives in Italian vedovo, French veuf, Spanish viudo and Romanian văduv.^[1] English widow is a native cognate, not a borrowing.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has Penelope “bereft of her husband”.^[7][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace speaks of a vine led to unwedded trees.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Without a husband or wife, widowed.^[3]
2. (feminine as noun) A widow.^[3]
3. (of trees) Not supporting a vine, (of a vine) unsupported.^[3]
4. Deprived, devoid (of).^[3]
5. Bereft of its owner or ruler.^[3]

Related words

• vidua
• viduitās
• viduō
• dīvidō
• English widow

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.