Where does “alpha widow” come from?
alpha widow (English) comes from English widow, from Middle English widwe, from Old English widuwe, from Proto-West Germanic widuwā, from Proto-Germanic widuwǭ, from Proto-Indo-European h₁widʰéwh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weydʰh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European dwi- — two.
alpha widow (English): A woman who, after experiencing a relationship with an exceptionally desirable man (an alpha male), is unable or unwilling to bond with less attractive men
Definitions
- A woman who, after experiencing a relationship with an exceptionally desirable man (an alpha male), is unable or unwilling to bond with less attractive men
Ancestry of “alpha widow”, step by step
alpha widow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English widow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | widow | A person whose spouse is absent |
| 2 | Middle English | widwe | widow |
| 3 | Old English | widuwe | widow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | widuwā | widow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | widuwǭ | widow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁widʰéwh₂ | widow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁- | to separate, divide |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |