suicide English · revision 4176

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=coinage|attested=1643|origins=la sui}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈsuː.ɪ.saɪd/, /ˈsjuː.ɪ.saɪd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The act is [[der|la-new|suīcidium]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) and the person [[der|la-new|suīcīda]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) both from Latin [[m|la|suī|t=of oneself]], the genitive of sē “self”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*s(w)e-|t=self]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) with -cīdium “a killing” or -cīda “killer”, from [[m|la|caedere|t=to kill]].^(Etymonline)^(COED 2004) It was probably an English coinage,^(Etymonline) and Merriam-Webster takes it as Latin suī with English [[-cide]].^(MWU 2024) Latin purists disliked the word because it might seem to come from sūs “sow” as much as from suī.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The deliberate killing of oneself: 1643 in Merriam-Webster,^(MW Collegiate) 1651 in Barnhart and the OED,^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) the 1650s in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Earlier English had self-homicide (1610s), and Old English self-cwala “self-killer”;^(Etymonline) the Anglo-Latin term for one who killed himself was felo-de-se.^(Etymonline) The person who commits suicide is a suicide from 1728,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and the figurative “ruin of one's own interests” from 1793.^(OED 1989) Johnson did not include it in 1755.^(OED 1989) In England suicide was legally a crime if the person was of age and sane.^(Etymonline) The adjectival use, as in ''suicide note'' and ''suicide pact'', is from 1773,^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) and ''suicidal'' from the 18th century.^(Hoad 1986) The verb, “to commit suicide”, is from 1841.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1643 – self-killing.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1728 – a person who kills himself.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1773 – ''suicide note''.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1793 – figuratively, self-ruin.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1841 – verb.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of intentionally killing oneself.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The ruin of one's own interests: ''political suicide''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A person who commits suicide.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or carrying out a deliberately fatal attack: ''a suicide bomber''.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To commit suicide.^(MW Collegiate)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[filicide]]

+ * [[fratricide]]

+ * [[herbicide]]

+ * [[infanticide]]

+ * [[insecticide]]

+ * [[matricide]]

+ * [[parricide]]

+ * [[patricide]]

+ * [[pesticide]]

+ * [[regicide]]

+ * [[sororicide]]

+ * [[suicidal]]

+ * [[homicide]]

+ * [[-cide]]

+ * [[self]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}