Where does “विधवा” come from?
विधवा (Hindi) comes from Sanskrit विधवा, from Proto-Indo-Iranian HwidʰáwaH, from Proto-Indo-European h₁widʰéwh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weydʰh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European dwi-, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.
विधवा (Hindi): widow
Ancestry of “विधवा”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | विधवा | widow; husbandless woman; a country bereft of a... |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | HwidʰáwaH | widow |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁widʰéwh₂ | widow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁- | to separate, divide |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |