wifelessadj.

Brit.

/ˈwʌɪflᵻs/, U.S.

/ˈwaɪflᵻs/

Forms: see wife n. and -less suffix; also Middle English–1500s wyueles, 1500s wiueless, 1500s wyveles, 1500s wyvelesse, 1500s–1600s wiueles, 1500s–1600s wiuelesse, 1500s–1600s wiveless, 1600s wivelesse.

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: wife n., -less suffix.

Etymology: < wife n. + -less suffix.Currency in Old English of the sense ‘without a woman’ (compare wife n. 1) is implied by the derivative wīflēast lack of women (compare -th suffix¹ 2).

a. Having no wife; spec. unmarried. In early use occasionally contextually: celibate (e.g. quot. a1425).

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [adjective]

wifelessOE

lone1548

unwived1570

brideless1827

OE Glosses to Bella Parisiacae Urbis of Abbo of St. Germain (Harl. 3271) in W. H. Stevenson Early Scholastic Colloquies 110 Ast colat agamus antropus celibatum : & begæð wifleas man clænnesse.

OE Poenitentiale Pseudo-Egberti (Laud) ii. xx. 27 Sanctus Paulus..tæcð.., gif hwylces weres forme wif bið dead, þæt he be leafe oðer niman mote, & gif he þa oferbit, wunige he a syððan wifleas.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) viii. l. 1760 (MED) Bot yit for al his noble array Wifles he was into that day.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 26281 He þat slas his aun wijf, He agh be wijfeles al his lijf.

a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 364 Þei ben dowid and wyflees aȝens Goddis autorite.

c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn l. 1090 Agea was enterid, A[nd] ffawnus lyvid wyfles.

1543 J. Bale Yet Course at Romyshe Foxe sig. C.ij^v The godlye companye, the relygious brether hede, the wyuelesse vyrgyns.

1574 T. Newton tr. G. Gratarolo Direct. Health Magistrates & Studentes sig. U.iij^v Wiuelesse Bachelers and husbandlesse maydens.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage v. vii. 410 They liue on almes,..They are wiuelesse.

a1623 H. Swinburne Treat. Spousals (1686) 169 He was then Wifeless.

1690 G. Disney Let. 24 May in Some Remarkable Passages (1692) 213 My Bowels really yearn towards you, now Wifeless, and your poor Babes, now Motherless.

1784 E. Sibly New & Compl. Illustr. Astrol. ii. 908 It was no hindrance in nature, which rendered our Saviour wifeless or childless.

1786 A. Hughes Zoriada I. iv. 46 I, who left my home so rich in happiness, was, on re-entering my dwelling, a childless father, and almost a wifeless husband.

1842 C. Whitehead Richard Savage (1844) II. vii. 203 Many of the married fellows do not appear to be a whit happier than your wifeless men.

a1849 J. C. Mangan Poems (1859) 459 Wifeless, friendless, flaggonless,..Not quite bookless, though.

1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 219 A lonely man Wifeless and heirless.

1917 M. Darley Cameos of Chinese City xvi. 166 He decreed that the nuns must become wives for wifeless men.

1960 M. G. Smith Govt. in Zazzau vii. 256 The only safeguard for wifeless men is for them to live with some kinsman..whose wife will then cook for the household.

2007 Guardian (Nexis) 10 May 9 In the 1970s, Ted Heath broke the taboo against wifeless prime ministers.

b. Of a state, condition, place, etc.: characterized by the absence of a wife.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [adjective] > relating to or involving condition of

wifeless1534

1534 G. Joye Subuersion Moris False Found. f. xl Their vowed wyuelesse chastite.

1548 R. Crowley Confut. N. Shaxton sig. Hvi^v The gyft of wyueles lyfe.

1563 2nd Tome Homelyes sig. Tttt.ii They in theyr wiuelesse state run into open abhominations.

1820 New Monthly Mag. Feb. 53/2 One vernal morn..The sighing consul left his wifeless bed.

1840 T. Hood Our Lady's Chapel 13 Whose mouldy, wifeless husbandry but yields Beans, peas, potatoes, mangel-wurzel, rye.

1930 O. Nash Let. 8 July in Loving Lett. (1990) 97 He is now living with a maiden aunt..and whiling away his wifeless evening hours writing a detective story.

1968 Ludington (Mich.) Daily News 28 Dec. 4 You would think after all these years of wifeless existence..that I would be able to perform a simple little chore like wrapping a package.

2014 P. Webb Lang. Silence iv. 38 He was tearing through his wifeless house, wondering why supper was not on the table.

†2. Of a woman: that is not a wife; unmarried. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried woman > [adjective]

maidenc1330

wifeless1823

unwifed1834

1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. vi. 158 A wifeless mother.

1876 London Society May 386/2 Norah, dear, I am as sure as a wifeless woman can be of anything that there is no greater gift to our sex than the steady love of a man.

1921 Evening Gaz. (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 9 May 6/2 His shooting by Kristine, the wifeless mother who at the same time kills herself is the dramatic climax of the hopeless tragedy.

Derivatives

ˈwifelessness n.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [noun] > condition of

bachelorshipa1616

bachelorhood1826

old bachelorism1834

wifelessness1835

1835 Court Jrnl. 31 Oct. 691/1 The fine young fellows are to be destined to a state of utter wifelessness.

1886 ‘M. Gray’ Silence of Dean Maitland I. iii. ii. 271 His six years' wifelessness had weighed sorely upon him.

2007 S. Berry Princes of Cotton 17 His own wifelessness..became a sort of moral failure.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	wifeless
释义	wifelessadj. Brit. /ˈwʌɪflᵻs/, U.S. /ˈwaɪflᵻs/ Forms: see wife n. and -less suffix; also Middle English–1500s wyueles, 1500s wiueless, 1500s wyveles, 1500s wyvelesse, 1500s–1600s wiueles, 1500s–1600s wiuelesse, 1500s–1600s wiveless, 1600s wivelesse. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: wife n., -less suffix. Etymology: < wife n. + -less suffix.Currency in Old English of the sense ‘without a woman’ (compare wife n. 1) is implied by the derivative wīflēast lack of women (compare -th suffix¹ 2). 1. a. Having no wife; spec. unmarried. In early use occasionally contextually: celibate (e.g. quot. a1425). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [adjective] wifelessOE lone1548 unwived1570 brideless1827 OE Glosses to Bella Parisiacae Urbis of Abbo of St. Germain (Harl. 3271) in W. H. Stevenson Early Scholastic Colloquies 110 Ast colat agamus antropus celibatum : & begæð wifleas man clænnesse. OE Poenitentiale Pseudo-Egberti (Laud) ii. xx. 27 Sanctus Paulus..tæcð.., gif hwylces weres forme wif bið dead, þæt he be leafe oðer niman mote, & gif he þa oferbit, wunige he a syððan wifleas. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) viii. l. 1760 (MED) Bot yit for al his noble array Wifles he was into that day. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 26281 He þat slas his aun wijf, He agh be wijfeles al his lijf. a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 364 Þei ben dowid and wyflees aȝens Goddis autorite. c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn l. 1090 Agea was enterid, A[nd] ffawnus lyvid wyfles. 1543 J. Bale Yet Course at Romyshe Foxe sig. C.ij^v The godlye companye, the relygious brether hede, the wyuelesse vyrgyns. 1574 T. Newton tr. G. Gratarolo Direct. Health Magistrates & Studentes sig. U.iij^v Wiuelesse Bachelers and husbandlesse maydens. 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage v. vii. 410 They liue on almes,..They are wiuelesse. a1623 H. Swinburne Treat. Spousals (1686) 169 He was then Wifeless. 1690 G. Disney Let. 24 May in Some Remarkable Passages (1692) 213 My Bowels really yearn towards you, now Wifeless, and your poor Babes, now Motherless. 1784 E. Sibly New & Compl. Illustr. Astrol. ii. 908 It was no hindrance in nature, which rendered our Saviour wifeless or childless. 1786 A. Hughes Zoriada I. iv. 46 I, who left my home so rich in happiness, was, on re-entering my dwelling, a childless father, and almost a wifeless husband. 1842 C. Whitehead Richard Savage (1844) II. vii. 203 Many of the married fellows do not appear to be a whit happier than your wifeless men. a1849 J. C. Mangan Poems (1859) 459 Wifeless, friendless, flaggonless,..Not quite bookless, though. 1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 219 A lonely man Wifeless and heirless. 1917 M. Darley Cameos of Chinese City xvi. 166 He decreed that the nuns must become wives for wifeless men. 1960 M. G. Smith Govt. in Zazzau vii. 256 The only safeguard for wifeless men is for them to live with some kinsman..whose wife will then cook for the household. 2007 Guardian (Nexis) 10 May 9 In the 1970s, Ted Heath broke the taboo against wifeless prime ministers. b. Of a state, condition, place, etc.: characterized by the absence of a wife. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [adjective] > relating to or involving condition of wifeless1534 1534 G. Joye Subuersion Moris False Found. f. xl Their vowed wyuelesse chastite. 1548 R. Crowley Confut. N. Shaxton sig. Hvi^v The gyft of wyueles lyfe. 1563 2nd Tome Homelyes sig. Tttt.ii They in theyr wiuelesse state run into open abhominations. 1820 New Monthly Mag. Feb. 53/2 One vernal morn..The sighing consul left his wifeless bed. 1840 T. Hood Our Lady's Chapel 13 Whose mouldy, wifeless husbandry but yields Beans, peas, potatoes, mangel-wurzel, rye. 1930 O. Nash Let. 8 July in Loving Lett. (1990) 97 He is now living with a maiden aunt..and whiling away his wifeless evening hours writing a detective story. 1968 Ludington (Mich.) Daily News 28 Dec. 4 You would think after all these years of wifeless existence..that I would be able to perform a simple little chore like wrapping a package. 2014 P. Webb Lang. Silence iv. 38 He was tearing through his wifeless house, wondering why supper was not on the table. †2. Of a woman: that is not a wife; unmarried. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried woman > [adjective] maidenc1330 wifeless1823 unwifed1834 1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. vi. 158 A wifeless mother. 1876 London Society May 386/2 Norah, dear, I am as sure as a wifeless woman can be of anything that there is no greater gift to our sex than the steady love of a man. 1921 Evening Gaz. (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 9 May 6/2 His shooting by Kristine, the wifeless mother who at the same time kills herself is the dramatic climax of the hopeless tragedy. Derivatives ˈwifelessness n. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > unmarried man > [noun] > condition of bachelorshipa1616 bachelorhood1826 old bachelorism1834 wifelessness1835 1835 Court Jrnl. 31 Oct. 691/1 The fine young fellows are to be destined to a state of utter wifelessness. 1886 ‘M. Gray’ Silence of Dean Maitland I. iii. ii. 271 His six years' wifelessness had weighed sorely upon him. 2007 S. Berry Princes of Cotton 17 His own wifelessness..became a sort of moral failure. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < adj.OE
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