Why do people say "Homicide" instead of "Murder"?

[Sparkleberry 104]

They both mean the same thing

Edit: But i will admit. Saying homicide sounds cooler than saying "murder"

Edited May 10, 2020 by Sparkleberry

[Pentium100 2,127]

12 minutes ago, Sparkleberry said:

They both mean the same thing

They don't.

Homicide means killing somebody.

Murder means killing somebody with the intention of doing so and without a justification.

Killing someone in self-defense or as an accident is homicide, but not murder.

[TBD 17,254]

They do go hand on hand, when people say “homicide” it just means they’re distinguishing different form of murder based on what the person have committed.

 

[Beauregard 555]

2 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

They don't.

Homicide means killing somebody.

Murder means killing somebody with the intention of doing so and without a justification.

Killing someone in self-defense or as an accident is homicide, but not murder.

I believe I heard the term "negligent homicide" before, so that makes sense.

[SharpWit 2,669]

Just sneaking this in here.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/XAOzMs9HbWg?t=51

And from the Online Etymology Dictionary,

homicide (n.)

"the killing of another person," early 13c., from Old French homicide, from Latin homicidium "manslaughter," from homo "man" (see homunculus) + -cidium "act of killing," from caedere "to kill, to cut down" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike"). The meaning "person who kills another" (late 14c.

So basically just a very specific form of someone dying that sounds professional?

Edited May 11, 2020 by SharpWit

[Pentium100 2,127]

2 hours ago, Beauregard said:

I believe I heard the term "negligent homicide" before, so that makes sense.

Yes, you can have negligent homicide, justifiable homicide etc.

For example, running a pedestrian over with a car (while driving drunk or texting etc) is not murder, even though it is obviously a crime, because the driver did not intend to kill the pedestrian.

On the other hand, if I am driving my car, see someone I hate crossing the street and intentionally run him over - that's murder.

I am not a lawyer though, so you should consult a lawyer for the precise definitions.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

28 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

because the driver did not intend to kill the pedestrian

I was GOING to say, “Isn’t that manslaughter?” But then my brain caught up and pointed out that “homicide” is literally Latin for “manslaughter”.

[Pentium100 2,127]

Just now, ShadOBabe said:

But then my brain caught up and pointed out that “homicide” is literally Latin for “manslaughter”.

AFAIK, "homicide" is for any killing whatsoever (including self-defense), while "manslaughter" means some specific crimes (and does not include self-defense obviously).

[Splashee 28,564]

I have only heard the term Genocide. Wasn't there a word in between genocide and homicide? Also there is filicide.

 

17 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

Murder means killing somebody with the intention of doing so and without a justification.

So what is the word for doing that murder thing, but on a genocide level? Doing it "without justification"?

 

I wonder how long this thread will live without being "terminated"? Terminated sounds more nicer than murder...

[Pentium100 2,127]

Just now, Super Splashee said:

I have only heard the term Genocide. Wasn't there a word in between genocide and homicide? Also there is filicide.

"cide" means killing or killer in Latin IIRC.

so:

homicide - killing a human
genocide - killing a race
suicide - killing yourself
filicide - killing your own child
herbicide - killing (or killer of) plants
insecticide - killing (or killer of) insects

and so on.

[Splashee 28,564]

Just now, Pentium100 said:

insecticide - killing (or killer of) insects

The only approved one.

 

Just now, Pentium100 said:

suicide - killing yourself

That's the one I was missing.

 

1 minute ago, Pentium100 said:

herbicide - killing (or killer of) plants

New to me.

 

 

Also, these are horrible horrible scary words Just pointing this out.

[Pentium100 2,127]

1 minute ago, Super Splashee said:

Also, these are horrible horrible scary words Just pointing this out.

I do not think the words are horrible or scary. The actions that they represent may be though.

And there are a lot of such words, both representing "bad" stuff and "good" stuff. For example regicide - killing a king, fratricide - killing a sibling.

But you may know pesticide, bactericide (may be written on soap) and a hand sanitizer may have "biocide" written on it.

[Yoshi89 5,293]

What gets me is when headlines use the word "slain" to describe someone who was killed. Who uses that these days? It reminds me of Shakespeare.

[Beauregard 555]

10 minutes ago, Yoshi89 said:

It reminds me of Shakespeare.

Or the KJV, but maybe that's just me.

[LilaH2 10]

5 hours ago, Yoshi89 said:

What gets me is when headlines use the word "slain" to describe someone who was killed. Who uses that these days? It reminds me of Shakespeare.

Doth you be the one whomst slain the victim? *faints dramatically*

[Splashee 28,564]

12 hours ago, Yoshi89 said:

What gets me is when headlines use the word "slain" to describe someone who was killed. Who uses that these days? It reminds me of Shakespeare.

slain'

Short word for slaing?

 

Google: Did you mean: slaying

 

Okay, I think "slain" would be an annoying word to use for describing someone being murdered.

[Yoshi89 5,293]

@Super Splashee

 

Kind of. "Slain" is the past participle of "slay". Now that I think about it, the root word makes me think of a dragonslayer.

[Splashee 28,564]

34 minutes ago, Yoshi89 said:

@Super Splashee

 

Kind of. "Slain" is the past participle of "slay". Now that I think about it, the root word makes me think of a dragonslayer.

My English! You are right.