Is there a single word to describe the loss of a child?


To my knowledge,


There is no single word that describes a "person who has lost a child."

We have "widow" and "widower" for a person whose spouse had died. We have "orphan" for a child whose parent or parents have died. Source



According to the quora question, the closest word is in Arabic: ثَكْلَى (thakla) which translates as "bereaved mother."



Though bereaved does not adequately describe 'loss of child' as it's definition is:

[to] be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, especially due to the loved one's death.




My questions are:

  • If there is a word, what is it?

  • If there is not a word, what word would Shakespeare have made up to convey the idea?




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