fatherlessness en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree English fatherless Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English fatherlessness From fatherless + -ness.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) The state or quality of being fatherless (not having a (living) father).
Speaking about the epidemic of fatherlessness in black families, Mr. Cosby imagined a young fatherless child thinking: “Somewhere in my life a person called my father has not shown up, and I feel very sad about this because I don’t know if I’m ugly — I don’t know what the reason is.”
2007 October 16, Bob Herbert, “Tough, Sad and Smart”, in New York Times:His themes have also been sounded by the comedian Bill Cosby, who has stirred debate among black Americans by bluntly speaking about an epidemic of fatherlessness in African-American families while suggesting that some blacks use racism as a crutch to explain the lack of economic progress.
2008 June 16, Julie Bosman, “Obama Calls for More Responsibility From Black Fathers”, in New York Times:Obama did not respond to his fatherlessness or his racial predicament with anger and rage, but as questions for investigation, conversation and synthesis.
2007 December 18, David Brooks, “The Obama-Clinton Issue”, in New York Times:
Coordinates
Hypernyms
Translations (4)
nn farløyse (state or quality of being fatherless) · ka უმამობა (state or quality of being fatherless) · pl brak ojca (state or quality of being fatherless) · de Vaterlosigkeit (state or quality of being fatherless)