I guess we've all heard this quote, or variations of it.
we call the person who has lost his father an orphan, and a widower that man who has lost his wife. But that man who has known the immense unhappiness of losing a friend. What do we call him. Here every language is silent and holds its peace in impotence.
so my question is, do we have a word for it? also, is there a word for a parent who has lost a child?
sorry if this question has already been answered but I looked and couldn't find it.
I think the generic word would be survivor. At least, obiturary language lists many relatives (and, sometimes, friends) as the decedent "is survived by..."
Beyond, orphan, widow, and widower, I do not think there any more words which signify a survivor's specific relationship.
Emmett
Another word that does not define the relationship between the deceased and the survivor is relict. I have the impression that it's only used in legal documents.
relict is new word for me actually. means widow doesn't it?
i've never heard that word before. thanks.
but i am still stuck looking for the right word in this context.
Another useful word that does not specify the relationship is bereft / bereaved. Grieving may be more accessible.
To me bereft conveys all the pain of lost intimacy of all types.