homicide English · revision 39530

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1230, Ancrene Riwle|origins=la homō, la caedō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈhɑ.məˌsaɪ̯d/, /ˈhoʊ.məˌsaɪ̯d/^(Wiktionary)

+ * UK: /ˈhɒm.ɪˌsaɪ̯d/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|homicide]], [[bor|fro|homicide|t=murder, manslaughter]] (Anglo-Norman also [[m|xno|omicide]]),^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) a learned borrowing of [[la|homicīdium|t=manslaughter]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) The Latin noun is formed on [[m|la|homicīda|t=murderer]], from the shortened stem of [[m|la|homō|t=man, human being]] and the ending [[m|la|-cīda|t=killer]], from [[m|la|caedō|t=to cut down, kill]].^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)^(Skeat 1911) The sense "person who kills" came separately from French ''homicide'' and Latin ''homicīda'' (Anglo-Norman from about 1141).^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AND) Etymonline notes that the killing and the killer, distinct in Latin, have one form in French and English.^(Etymonline) In Anglo-Norman the noun for the killing is found from 1121–35.^(AND)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The killing of a human being, especially as a crime: c. 1230, in the ''Ancrene Riwle''.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The agent sense, a person who kills another, followed about 1350 according to the OED^(OED 2026) and about 1375, in Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales'', according to Barnhart;^(Barnhart 1988) the OED now labels it dated.^(OED 2026) The Wycliffite Bible (c. 1384) has it as an adjective, murderous.^(OED 2026) Johnson (1755) gave "murder; manquelling" first and "a murderer; a manslayer" second.^(Johnson 1755) Lawyers distinguish ''justifiable'', ''excusable'' and ''unlawful'' homicide.^(SOED 2002) In North America from 1934 ''homicide'' is also the police division that investigates killings,^(OED 2026)^(MWU 2024) and a verb, to kill, has existed since 1543 but is rare.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–35 – Anglo-Norman ''homicide'', the crime of killing.^(AND)

+ * c. 1230 – the killing of a human being.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1350 – a killer;^(OED 2026) c. 1375 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1384 – adjective, murderous.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1543 – the verb, to kill.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1934 – (North America) the police homicide division.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The killing of one person by another: ''The coroner ruled the death a homicide.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # (law) Such a killing as a legal category, including [[murder]] and [[manslaughter]].^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+ # (chiefly North American) The [[police]] department that investigates killings.^(OED 2026)^(MWU 2024)

+ # (dated) A person who kills another; a [[murderer]].^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[homicidal]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[suicide]]

+ * [[genocide]]

+ * [[parricide]]

+ * [[human]]

+ * [[excise]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}