विधवा

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit विधवा (vidhávā).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

विधवा • (vidhvā) f (Urdu spelling ودھوا)

1. widow (a woman whose spouse has died)

Declension

Declension of विधवा (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	विधवा vidhvā	विधवाएँ vidhvāẽ
oblique	विधवा vidhvā	विधवाओं vidhvāõ
vocative	विधवा vidhvā	विधवाओ vidhvāo

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• ৱিধৱা (Assamese script)
• ᬯᬶᬥᬯᬵ (Balinese script)
• বিধবা (Bengali script)
• 𑰪𑰰𑰠𑰪𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀯𑀺𑀥𑀯𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဝိဓဝါ (Burmese script)
• વિધવા (Gujarati script)
• ਵਿਧਵਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌵𑌿𑌧𑌵𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦮꦶꦣꦮꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂫𑂱𑂡𑂫𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ವಿಧವಾ (Kannada script)
• វិធវា (Khmer script)
• ວິຘວາ (Lao script)
• വിധവാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠸᡳᢡᠠᠸᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘪𑘱𑘠𑘪𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠸᠢᢑᠾᠠᠸᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧊𑧒𑧀𑧊𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐰𑐶𑐢𑐰𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଵିଧଵା (Odia script)
• ꢮꢶꢤꢮꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆮𑆴𑆣𑆮𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖪𑖰𑖠𑖪𑖯 (Siddham script)
• විධවා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩾𑩑𑩮𑩾𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚦𑚮𑚜𑚦𑚭 (Takri script)
• வித⁴வா (Tamil script)
• విధవా (Telugu script)
• วิธวา (Thai script)
• ཝི་དྷ་ཝཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒫𑒱𑒡𑒫𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨭𑨁𑨜𑨭𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *HwidʰáwaH (“widow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁widʰéwh₂ (“widow”). 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 10.40.8:

     युवं ह कृशं युवमश्विना शयुं युवं विधन्तं विधवाम्उरुष्यथः।

     yuvám ha kṛśám yuvámaśvinā śayúm yuvám vidhántam vidhávāmuruṣyathaḥ

     Krsa and Śayu ye protect, ye Aśvins Twain: ye Two assist the widow and the worshipper.

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
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀯𑀺𑀳𑀯𑀸 (vihavā)
• → Hindi: विधवा (vidhvā)
• → Kannada: ವಿಧವೆ (vidhave)
• → Khmer: វិធវា (vithĕəʼviə)
• → Malayalam: വിധവ (vidhava)
• → Tamil: விதவை (vitavai)
• → Telugu: విధవ (vidhava)

References

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