half-widow

n. a woman whose husband is missing but not known to be dead. Subjects: English, India, Pakistan

Editorial Note: This term is often applied to women whose husbands have disappeared during fighting in Kashmir.

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Citations: 1999 BERNAMA Malaysian National News Agency (Apr. 19) “Atrocities In Kashmir Graver Than Those In Kosovo” (in Geneva, Switzerland): In response to another question he said there are more than 8,000 “half widows” in Kashmir, who are not certain what has happened to their husbands. 1999 Independent (United Kingdom) (Oct. 10) “The Vanishing Season”: Graham Cardwell has shown no inclination to return to his family, and, since he had done nothing illegal, the police are keeping his whereabouts secret. So Jane, too, remains a half-widow, the mystery of her husband’s vanishing as painfully opaque as ever. 2005 Justine Hardy Wonder House (Aug. 15) p. 255 @ (Mar. 28, 2006): The Kashmiri half-widow closed her eyes as she gave the same facts that she had given to every name in the pile of cards. 2006 Khurshid UL Islam DNA (Mumbai, India) (July 12) “It’s time for the 8:16 local again”: Despite having more than 50,000 widows and orphans, thousands in jail, hundreds of missing youth and half widows—a term for those whose husbands are missing—we still lead a normal life.

Posted 14 Jul 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend