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GeezerVison is showing en.wiktionary.org — orphan - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Alternative forms

  • orphane (obsolete)

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Late Latin orphanus, from Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós, “without parents, fatherless”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos.

PIE word
*h₃órbʰos

Cognate with Sanskrit अर्भ (árbha), Latin orbus (“orphaned”), Old Armenian որբ (orb, “orphan”), Old High German erbi, arbi (German Erbe (“heir”)), Old English ierfa (“heir”). More at erf.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɔːfən/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɔɹfən/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • (dialectal, archaic) IPA(key): /ˈɔːɹfənt/ (see orphant)
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)fən
  • Homophone: often (non-rhotic, lot–cloth split)
  • Hyphenation: or‧phan

Noun

orphan (plural orphans)

  1. A person, especially a minor, both or (rarely) one of whose parents have died.
    • 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 9, in Crime out of Mind‎[1]:
      Rudolf was the bold, bad Baron of traditional melodrama. Irene was young, as pretty as a picture, fresh from a music academy in England. He was the scion of an ancient noble family; she an orphan without money or friends.
  2. A person, especially a minor, whose parents have permanently abandoned them.
  3. A young animal with no mother.
  4. (figuratively) Anything that is unsupported, as by its source, provider or caretaker, by reason of the supporter's demise or decision to abandon.
  5. (typography) A single line of type, beginning a paragraph, at the bottom of a column or page.
    Antonym: widow
  6. (computing) Any unreferenced object.
    • 2003, David D. Riley, The Object of Data Abstraction and Structures Using Java, page 234:
      An orphan isn't harmful in a language that has garbage collection, such as Java. However, reducing the number of orphans can be expected to improve code performance.

Derived terms

  • deorphanized
  • double orphan
  • elder orphan
  • half orphan
  • half-orphan
  • maternal orphan
  • nonorphan
  • orphanage
  • orphanarium
  • orphan asylum
  • orphan-crushing machine
  • orphancy
  • orphan disease
  • orphandom
  • orphan drug
  • orphaner
  • orphaness
  • orphanet
  • orphanhood
  • orphan house
  • orphan initialism
  • orphanish
  • orphanism
  • orphanity
  • orphanize
  • orphan John
  • orphanlike
  • orphan medicine
  • orphanotrophism
  • orphanotrophy
  • orphan page
  • orphan receptor
  • orphanry
  • orphanship
  • orphan source
  • orphan star
  • orphan tears
  • orphan train
  • orphan work
  • orphany
  • paper orphan
  • paternal orphan
  • social orphan
  • Thirteen Orphans
  • war orphan

Translations

person whose (parent or) parents have died
  • Afrikaans: weeskind
  • Agta:
    Dupaningan Agta: golang
  • Ahtna: titahen
  • Alabama: lokaacha
  • Albanian: jetim (sq) m, jetime (sq) f, bonjak (sq) m, bonjake (sq) f
  • Altai:
    Northern Altai: ӧскис (öskis), ӧксӱс (öksüs)
    Southern Altai: ӧскӱс (ösküs), ӧксӱс (öksüs)
  • Arabic: يَتِيم (ar) m (yatīm), يَتِيمَة f (yatīma)
    Egyptian Arabic: يتيم m (yatīm)
  • Aramaic:
    Classical Syriac: ܝܬܡܐ m (yaṯmāʾ)
  • Armenian: որբ (hy) (orb)
    Old Armenian: որբ (orb)
  • Asturian: güérfanu m
  • Azerbaijani: yetim (az)
  • Bangi: etike
  • Bashkir: етем (yetem), йәтим (yätim)
  • Basque: umezurtz
  • Belarusian: сірата́ m or f (siratá)
  • Bengali: এতিম (bn) (etim)
  • Bikol:
    Central Bikol: ilo (bcl)
  • Bulgarian: сира́к (bg) m (sirák), сирота́ (bg) f (sirotá), сира́че n (siráče)
  • Burmese: မိဘမဲ့ (my) (mi.bha.mai.)
  • Cahuilla: 'aminat
  • Catalan: orfe (ca) m, òrfena (ca) f
  • Cebuano: ilo
  • Chamicuro: wakcha
  • Chechen: бо (bo)
  • Cherokee: ᎤᏓᏂᏯᏛ (udaniyadv)
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (gu1 ji4), 孤兒仔 / 孤儿仔 (gu1 ji4 zai2)
    Dungan: етиму (iətimu)
    Eastern Min: 無奶囝 / 无奶囝 (mò̤-nā̤-giāng)
    Gan: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (gu1 eo4)
    Hokkien: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (zh-min-nan) (ko͘-jî / ko͘-lî)
    Jin: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (gu1 er1)
    Mandarin: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (zh) (gū'ér), 遺孤 / 遗孤 (zh) (yígū)
    Xiang: 孤兒 / 孤儿 (gu1 e2)
  • Chukchi: ейвэл (jejwel)
  • Chuvash: тӑлӑх (tălăh)
  • Comorian:
    Ngazidja Comorian: yatima class 5/6
  • Czech: sirotek (cs) m, sirota (cs) f
  • Danish: forældreløst barn n, hittebarn (da) n
  • Dongxiang: oliechin
  • Dutch: wees (nl) m or f, weeskind (nl) n, weesjongen (nl) m, weesmeisje (nl) n
  • Egyptian:
    t
    f
    n
    nDs
    A1
    (tfn m),
    nnmmHXrdnDsA1
    (nmḥ)
  • Esperanto: orfo
  • Estonian: orb (et), vaeslaps
  • Faroese: foreldraloysingur
  • Finnish: orpo (fi)
  • French: orphelin (fr) m, orpheline (fr) f
    Old French: orfelin m
  • Friulian: vuarfin m, vuarfine f
  • Galician: orfo (gl) m, orfa f
  • Georgian: ობოლი (oboli)
  • German: (♂♀) Waise (de) f, (both parents dead, ♂♀) Vollwaise (de) f, (one parent dead, ♂♀) Halbwaise (de) f, (♂♀) Waisenkind (de) n, Waisenknabe (de) m, Waisenjunge (de) m, (♀) Waisenmädchen (de) n, Elternloser m, Elternlose f
  • Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌰 m (widuwairna)
  • Greek: ορφανός (el) m (orfanós), (colloquial, when both parents are dead) πεντάρφανος (el) m (pentárfanos)
  • Haitian Creole: òfelen
  • Hebrew: יָתוֹם (he) m (yatóm), יְתוֹמָה f (yetomá)
  • Higaonon: ilo
  • Hiligaynon: ilo
  • Hindi: अनाथ (hi) m (anāth), यतीम (hi) m (yatīm), लावारिस (hi) m (lāvāris)
  • Hungarian: árva (hu)
  • Icelandic: munaðarleysingi (is) m
  • Ido: orfano (io)
  • Indonesian: yatim (id) (who has lost one parent only), anak yatim (id) (who has lost father, literally means orphan child), anak piatu (id) (who has lost mother), anak yatim piatu (who has lost both parents)
  • Ingrian: armatoin, armotoin, orpo
  • Ingush: бо (bo)
  • Irish: dílleachta, tachrán m, aindílleachta m (uncared-for)
  • Italian: orfano (it) m, orfana (it) f
  • Japanese: 孤児 (ja) (こじ, koji)
  • Javanese: lola
  • Judeo-Italian: אוֹרְפֵֿינוֹ m (ʔorəp̄eno /⁠orfeno⁠/)
  • Kaqchikel: mebʼaʼ
  • Kazakh: жетім (jetim)
  • Khmer: ក្មេងកំព្រា (kmeeng kɑmpriə)
  • Korean: 고아(孤兒) (ko) (goa)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: ھەتیو (ckb) (hetîw)
    Northern Kurdish: sêwî (ku) m or f, êtîm (ku) m or f
  • Kyrgyz: жетим (ky) (jetim)
  • Lao: ກຳພອຽ (kamp ʼīa), ກຳພ້າກຳພອຽ (kam phā kamp ʼīa) (who has lost both parents), ກຳພ້າ (kam phā) (who has lost one parent only), ອະນາຖາ (ʼa nā thā)
  • Latin: orbus m, orba f
  • Latvian: bārenis m, bārene f
  • Lezgi: етим (etim)
  • Lingala: etike
  • Lithuanian: našlaitis m, našlaitė (lt) f
  • Livonian: joutõmläpš, bōr
  • Lombard: orfen (lmo) m, orfena (lmo) f
  • Lower Tanana: titwxenh
  • Lü: ᦂᧄᧈᦘᦱᧉ (k̇am¹phaa²)
  • Luhya: omufubi
  • Macedonian: сираче n (sirače)
  • Malagasy: kamboty (mg)
  • Malay: anak yatim (ms)
  • Malayalam: അനാഥ (anātha​)
  • Maltese: orfni m, ltim m
  • Manchu: ᡠᠮᡠᡩᡠ (umudu), ᡠᠮᡠᡩᡠ
    ᠵᡠᡳ
    (umudu jui)
  • Manx: treoghan m
  • Māori: pani
  • Maranao: ilo
  • Marathi: अनाथ मूल n (anāth mūl)
  • Middle English: stepchild, stepbarn
  • Mongolian:
    Cyrillic: өнчин (mn) (önčin)
    Mongolian script: ᠥᠨᠦᠴᠢᠨ (önüčin)
  • Navajo: bąąh ádahasdįįdígíí
  • Nogai: етим (yetim)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: foreldreløst barn n
    Nynorsk: foreldrelaust barn n
  • Occitan: orfanèl (oc) m, orfanèla (oc) f
  • Old Church Slavonic:
    Cyrillic: сирота f (sirota)
    Glagolitic: ⱄⰻⱃⱁⱅⰰ f (sirota)
  • Old East Slavic: сирота f (sirota)
  • Old English: stēopċild n, stēopbearn n
  • Old Turkic: 𐰖𐰃𐱃𐰀 (y¹it¹a), 𐰖𐱃𐰀 (y¹t¹a)
  • Ossetian: сидзӕр (siʒær)
  • Papiamentu: wérfano
  • Pashto: يتيم (ps) m (yatim), پلارمړی (ps) m (plārmǝṛay) (fatherless), مورمړی m (mormǝṛay) (motherless)
  • Persian: یَتیم (fa) (yatim)
  • Plautdietsch: Weis f
  • Polish: sierota (pl) f, sierotka (pl) f (diminutive)
  • Portuguese: órfão (pt) m, órfã (pt) f
  • Punjabi: ਅਨਾਥ (pa) (anāth), ਯਤੀਮ (yatīm)
  • Quechua: wakcha
  • Romanian: orfan (ro) m, orfană f
  • Russian: сирота́ (ru) m or f (sirotá), сиро́тка (ru) m or f (sirótka) (diminutive)
  • Saho: xeewo
  • Sami:
    Northern Sami: oarbbis
  • Samoan: matuaoti
  • Sanskrit: अनाथ (sa) (ánāthá)
  • Scottish Gaelic: dìlleachd m, dìlleachdan m, tàcharan m
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: сиро̀че n, сиро̀та̄н m, сиро̀та (sh) f, сѝра̄к m, сирота́нче n, сиро̀тица f
    Latin: siròče (sh) n, siròtān (sh) m, siròta (sh) f, sìrāk (sh) m, sirotánče n, siròtica (sh) f
  • Sicilian: prujettu m, prujetta f
  • Sinhalese: අනාථ (anātha)
  • Slovak: sirota f
  • Slovene: sirota (sl) f
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: syrota f
    Upper Sorbian: syrota f
  • Spanish: huérfano (es) m, huérfana (es) f, huacho (es) m (colloquial), huaccho m (rural, Peru), guacho (es) m, guácharo m, expósito (es) m
  • Sundanese: yatim piatu
  • Swahili: mfiwa, yatima (sw), mtoto yatima (sw) (orphan child)
  • Swedish: föräldralöst barn n
  • Tabasaran: йитим (jitim)
  • Tagalog: ulila
  • Tajik: ятим (tg) (yatim), сағир (saġir)
  • Tamil: அனாதை (ta) (aṉātai)
  • Taos: pènkuʼúna
  • Tarifit: ayujir m
  • Tatar: ятим (tt) (yätim), үксез (tt) (üksez)
  • Tauya: ataya
  • Telugu: అనాధ (te) (anādha)
  • Tetum: please add this translation if you can
  • Thai: เด็กกำพร้า (dèk gam-práa)
  • Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
  • Tlingit: kuhaankée
  • Turkish: yetim (tr), öksüz (tr)
    Ottoman Turkish: اوكسز (öksüz), یتیم (yetim)
  • Turkmen: ýetim
  • Ugaritic: 𐎊𐎚𐎎 (ytm)
  • Ukrainian: сирота́ m or f (syrotá)
  • Urdu: یَتِیم (ur) m (yatīm), اَناتھ m (anāth)
  • Uyghur: يېتىم (yëtim)
  • Uzbek: yetim (uz)
  • Vietnamese: trẻ mồ côi, cô nhi (vi)
  • Volapük: nenpalan (vo)
  • Welsh: amddifad (cy)
  • Yiddish: יתום m (yosem), יתומה f (yesoyme)
  • Yup'ik: elliraq
young animal with no mother
  • Finnish: orpo (fi)
  • Mongolian:
    Cyrillic: өнчин (mn) (önčin)
anything unsupported
  • Finnish: orpo (fi)
single line of type at the bottom of page
  • Danish: fransk horeunge c
  • Finnish: orporivi
  • German: Schusterjunge (de) m
  • Hungarian: árvasor (hu)
  • Portuguese: órfã (pt) f
computing: unreferenced object
  • Finnish: orpo (fi)
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
  • Woiwurrung: (please verify) moorree-yak

Adjective

orphan (not comparable)

  1. Deprived of parents (also orphaned).
    She is an orphan child.
  2. (by extension, figuratively) Remaining after the removal of some form of support.
    With its government funding curtailed, the gun registry became an orphan program.

Derived terms

  • orphan acronym
  • orphan work

Related terms

  • orphan drug

Translations

deprived of parents
  • Bulgarian: сирашки (siraški)
  • Hindi: अनाथ (hi) (anāth)
  • Ingrian: armatoin, armotoin
  • Marathi: अनाथ (anāth)
  • Russian: сиротливый (ru) (sirotlívyj)
  • Sanskrit: अनाथ (sa) (anātha)
  • Spanish: expósito (es), guácharo, huérfano (es), guacho (es)
  • Turkish:
    Ottoman Turkish: اوكسز (öksüz)

Verb

orphan (third-person singular simple present orphans, present participle orphaning, simple past and past participle orphaned)

  1. (transitive) To deprive of parents (used almost exclusively in the passive).
    What do you do when you come across two orphaned polar bear cubs?
  2. (transitive, computing) To make unavailable, as by removing the last remaining pointer or reference to.
    When you removed that image tag, you orphaned the resized icon.
    Removing categories orphans pages from the main category tree.

Conjugation

Conjugation of orphan
infinitive (to) orphan
present tense past tense
1st-person singular orphan orphaned
2nd-person singular orphan, orphanest† orphaned, orphanedst†
3rd-person singular orphans, orphaneth† orphaned
plural orphan
subjunctive orphan orphaned
imperative orphan —
participles orphaning orphaned

† Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

  • orphan off

Translations

deprive of parents
  • German: zur Waise machen, (become orphaned) verwaisen (de)
  • Greek: απορφανίζω (el) (aporfanízo)
  • Navajo: áhádįįh
  • Portuguese: orfanar
  • Spanish: enechar (antiquated)

References

  • Jones, M. Jean (August 1973), “Appendix”, in The Regional English of the Former Inhabitants of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains‎ (Dissertation)‎[2], University of Tennessee, Knoxville, →OCLC, page 114.
  • “orphan”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
  • Orphan in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

  • harp on
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=orphan&oldid=95450171"
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