Widow in Malayalam
A widow is വിധവ (vidhava), the standard word in registers, newspapers and ordinary speech. Say vidhava with a light aspirated dh and even stress. It is neutral in tone, which is why official forms use it.
Most common translation
Widow.
ആ വിധവ മക്കളെ ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക് വളർത്തി.
aa vidhava makkale ottaykku valarthi.
That widow raised her children alone.
All Malayalam words for “widow”
- വിധവ (vidhava) — Widow.
- ബോളി (boli) — Widow, a sweetmeat.
- ഏകി (eaki) — A lonely woman, widow.
ബോളി (boli) is an old word for widow that is better known today as the name of a sweet, and ഏകി (eaki) means a woman left alone, which overlaps with widowhood without being the word for it.
Common questions
How do you say widow in Malayalam?
Widow is വിധവ (vidhava).
Is there a less formal word?
Not one in common use. വിധവ (vidhava) serves in every register, while the alternatives sound old or indirect.