Totschlag
German
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From tot (“dead”) + Schlag (“blow, hit”). Compare Dutch doodslag.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃlaːk/ (standard)
- IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃla(ː)x/ (northern and central Germany; now chiefly colloquial)
Audio (Germany (Berlin)): (file)
Noun
[edit]Totschlag m (strong, genitive Totschlags or Totschlages, plural Totschläge)
- (law) second-degree murder, manslaughter; an unlawful killing of a person which is subject to a milder punishment than (first-degree) murder
Usage notes
[edit]- In spite of their semantic similarity, German 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
[edit]| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Totschlag | die | Totschläge |
| genitive | eines | des | Totschlags, Totschlages | der | Totschläge |
| dative | einem | dem | Totschlag, Totschlage1 | den | Totschlägen |
| accusative | einen | den | Totschlag | die | Totschläge |
1Now rare, see notes.
Synonyms
[edit]Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]See also
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- “Totschlag”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache[1] (in German)
- “Totschlag” in Duden online
Totschlag on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
