Totschlag

German

Etymology

tot + Schlag. Compare Dutch doodslag.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃlaːk/
  • IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃlax/, /-ˌʃlaːx/
  • (file)

Noun

Totschlag m (genitive Totschlags or Totschlages, no plural)

  1. (law) manslaughter; second-degree murder; an unlawful killing of a person which is subject to a milder punishment than murder

Usage notes

  • The specific definition of Totschlag is distinct from the understanding of “manslaughter” in the Anglophone world. It also varies somewhat between the respective German-speaking countries. Generally, however, Totschlag is an intentional killing that lacks certain aggravating properties. A typical case example of Totschlag is a killing in the heat of the moment.
  • In informal contexts, Totschlag is often improperly distinguished from Mord (murder) or merged with it. Speakers are likely to use Mord for cases that do not legally qualify as murder.

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.