विधवा

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit विधवा (vidhávā), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁widʰéwh₂.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ʋɪd̪ʱ.ʋɑː/, [ʋɪd̪ʱ.ʋäː]

Noun

विधवा • (vidhvā) f

1. widow (woman who has lost a husband)

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Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *HwidʰáwaH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HwidʰáwaH, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁widʰéwh₂. Cognate with Latin vidua, Ancient Greek ἠΐθεος (ēḯtheos), Russian вдова (vdova), Old English widuwe (whence English widow).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋi.dʱɐ́.ʋɑː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈʋi.d̪ʱɐ.ʋɑː/

Noun

विधवा • (vidhávā) stem, f

1. widow; husbandless woman
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda
2. a country bereft of a king

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of विधवा (vidhávā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	विधवा vidhávā	विधवे vidháve	विधवाः vidhávāḥ
Vocative	विधवे vídhave	विधवे vídhave	विधवाः vídhavāḥ
Accusative	विधवाम् vidhávām	विधवे vidháve	विधवाः vidhávāḥ
Instrumental	विधवया / विधवा¹ vidhávayā / vidhávā¹	विधवाभ्याम् vidhávābhyām	विधवाभिः vidhávābhiḥ
Dative	विधवायै vidhávāyai	विधवाभ्याम् vidhávābhyām	विधवाभ्यः vidhávābhyaḥ
Ablative	विधवायाः / विधवायै² vidhávāyāḥ / vidhávāyai²	विधवाभ्याम् vidhávābhyām	विधवाभ्यः vidhávābhyaḥ
Genitive	विधवायाः / विधवायै² vidhávāyāḥ / vidhávāyai²	विधवयोः vidhávayoḥ	विधवानाम् vidhávānām
Locative	विधवायाम् vidhávāyām	विधवयोः vidhávayoḥ	विधवासु vidhávāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• Pali: vidhavā
• → Hindi: विधवा (vidhvā)
• → Kannada: ವಿಧವೆ (vidhave)
• → Telugu: విధవ (vidhava)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “विधवा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0967.