Bereave
/bɪˈriːv/noun
To deprive someone of a loved one by death, or to take something away from them.
Did you know?Bereave comes from Old English *bereafian*, literally “to plunder” or “to rob,” so the word for grief began as the language of violent taking.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bereafian
“to plunder, rob, or strip away”
Middle English
ME
bereven / bereven
“to deprive; especially to take away by death”
14th Century
English
bereave
“to deprive or make destitute, especially by loss of a loved one”
Modern English
English
bereave
“to deprive someone of a loved one by death”