Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/widuwǭ

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁widʰéwh₂ (“widow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwi.ðu.wɔ̃ː/

Noun

*widuwǭ f

1. widow

Inflection

Declension of *widuwǭ (ōn-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	*widuwǭ	*widuwōniz
vocative	*widuwǭ	*widuwōniz
accusative	*widuwōnų	*widuwōnunz
genitive	*widuwōniz	*widuwōnǫ̂
dative	*widuwōni	*widuwōmaz
instrumental	*widuwōnē	*widuwōmiz

Related terms

• *widuwernô (?)
• *widuwô

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *widuwā
  • Old English: widuwe, widua — Northumbrian, wuduwe — West Saxon, widewe, wyduwe, weoduwe, weodewe, wydewe
    • Middle English: widwe
      • English: widow
      • Scots: weedae, wedow, widdow
  • Old Frisian: widwe, wedwe
    • Saterland Frisian: Wiede- (in Wiedewieuw, Wiedekäärel)
    • West Frisian: widdo
  • Old Saxon: widuwa, widowa
    • Middle Low German: wedewe, weduwe, wedue
      • Plautdietsch: Wät- (in Wätfru)
  • Old Dutch: widowa
    • Middle Dutch: weduwe, wedewe
      • Dutch: weduwe, (archaic) weeuw
        • Afrikaans: weduwee
        • Negerhollands: weduwe
        • → Caribbean Hindustani: widhwá
  • Old High German: wituwa, witawa
    • Middle High German: witewe
      • Cimbrian: bittaba
      • German: Witwe
      • Luxembourgish: Wit- (in Witfra, Witmann)
      • Vilamovian: wytwa
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐍉 (widuwō)