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Apr 13, 2011 · The term widower is obviously an extension of "widow": mid-14c., extended from widow "Widow" is old enough to be credited to Middle English "widewe" and Old English "widuwe". My guess for the term starting with women is the economical independence that men have been granted throughout history.
A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. [1] The adjective for either sex is widowed.
Jun 27, 2023 · A widower is a man who has lost a spouse by death and has not remarried. The words widow and widower are both used to describe a person who has remained unmarried after their spouse passes away. What do these two similar words mean, and why do we use two different words to mean almost the same thing?
Widow was a uni-sex term originally; by the 14th century it was primarily used of women, so the suffix -er was added to create a new masculine form. A widower sounds, to me, like someone who makes widows. More like a matter of degree: widow, widower, widowest. It's probably some active/passive genderbased ending.
Mar 28, 2024 · When talking about the difference between widow and widower, it’s quite simple. A widow is a woman whose spouse has passed away. On the other hand, a widower is a man whose spouse has died. Both terms refer to someone who has lost their partner but are used specifically based on the gender of the surviving spouse.
The term sounds like “someone who creates widows” rather than a male–gender equivalent. For that matter, why not just “widow”, or “male widow” if we see a need to clarify? Archived post.
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Dec 8, 2020 · The word widow has an Old English origin dating back to before the 19th century. A widow is a woman who has experienced the death of a spouse or significant other. A widower is a man who has a deceased spouse or loved one.
