As per title - is there such a word?
Either a noun:
John is an ?????? (his only brother died when he was 3)
or verb (or past tense as an adjective):
John was ????ed today (his only sister died today)
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The first would be a noun. I don't know of any such word/s.– Edwin AshworthMar 1, 2014 at 9:35
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1The origin of the word orphan seems to be the Latin orphanus which means "without parents" or "fatherless". So perhaps the latin word unigenita meaning "only child" would be a root word? I don't think there is a word for losing all siblings.– SubmittedDeniedMar 1, 2014 at 9:38
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1@SubmittedDenied Perhaps then "unigenitified" or "unigenitiated" and for a noun "unigenitian" (following the "an" ending of orphan)?– BohemianMar 1, 2014 at 14:15
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One of my friends is a bereaved sibling. I have suggested we coin the term "sidow" for her - like a widow, but for siblings.– user190335Aug 8, 2016 at 18:39
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Welcome to EL&U. This isn't a discussion forum, but a Q&A site which favors definitive, well-supported answers, and while sidow might be an interesting neologism, it isn't in common use. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for a better understanding of the goals and practices of our site.– chosterAug 8, 2016 at 19:13
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2 Answers
They are often mentioned as "bereaved sibling".
For example, in this book:
Sibling Grief: Healing After the Death of a Sister Or Brother - By P. Gill White
bereaved adj. Suffering the loss of a loved one: the bereaved family.
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Sure, but the term doesn't indicate the person lost all of their siblings– BohemianAug 8, 2016 at 19:18
Someone with no siblings is called an only child. I have heard an elderly woman say, when her last sibling had died, "Now I have become an only child."
