widow English · revision 7938

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 825|origins=ine-pro *h₁widʰéwh₂}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈwɪd.əʊ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈwɪd.oʊ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English widewe, [[inh|ang|widewe|t=widow]], wuduwe,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from Proto-Germanic *widuwō,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) cognate with Dutch [[m|nl|weduwe]], German [[m|de|Witwe]] and Gothic widuwō,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from PIE *widhewo-,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) seen also in Latin [[m|la|vidua|t=widow]], Sanskrit vidhávā and Old Irish fedb.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) It is considered to be from a root meaning to separate, divide (compare Latin dīvidere, [[divide]]),^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) or one meaning to be empty.^(NODE 1998)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A woman whose husband is dead: about 825 in the OED, about 830 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A female animal that has lost its mate is from about 1220, and figurative uses from about 1380.^(OED 1989) A wife separated from or deserted by her husband is from the mid-15th century, usually in combinations such as ''widow bewitched'' and ''grass widow'',^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and the word as a title before a name from 1576.^(OED 1989) [[widower|alt=Widower]] was substituted in the 14th century for the Old English masculine widewa.^(Hoad 1986) ''Widow's mite'' is from Mark 12:43,^(Etymonline) and Word Origins notes that ''widow's weeds'' (late 16th century) uses an old word weeds, garments.^(Cresswell 2021) In printing, a short line at the top of a column is implied in print-shop slang by 1904.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – a widow.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1220 – of animals.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-15th century – a deserted wife.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1576 – as a title.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1904 – in printing.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A woman whose husband has died and who has not married again.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' A woman whose husband is often away at a sport or hobby: ''a golf widow''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(printing)'' A short last line of a paragraph at the top of a page or column.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # In some card games, an extra hand dealt face down.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make a widow or [[widower]] of.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[widowly]]

+ * [[chuck-will's-widow]]

+ * [[black widow]]

+ * [[golf widow]]

+ * [[grass widow]]

+ * [[merry widow]]

+ * [[widow bird]]

+ * [[widow's mite]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[widower]]

+ * [[widowhood]]

+ * [[divide]]

+ * [[individual]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}