wdowa

Wdowa is a woman whose husband has died. The phrase wdowa po followed by a man's name, as wdowa po Józefie, tells you the name of the late husband, which is often the clue that leads back to her first marriage.

A widow who remarried is usually called wdowa in the marriage entry instead of panna, so the word also tells you this was not her first marriage. The masculine form is wdowiec, widower. Regional speech also had gdowa.