Totschlag

== German == === Etymology === From tot (“dead”) +‎ Schlag (“blow, hit”). Compare Dutch doodslag. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃlaːk/ (standard) IPA(key): /ˈtoːtˌʃla(ː)x/ (northern and central Germany; now chiefly colloquial) === Noun === 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 ==== 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 ==== ==== Synonyms ==== Tötung; Bluttat (synonyms in non-technical use only) ==== Derived terms ==== Totschläger Mord und Totschlag Totschlagargument ==== Related terms ==== totschlagen === See also === fahrlässige Tötung Kapitalverbrechen Körperverletzung mit Todesfolge Mord === Further reading === “Totschlag” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “Totschlag” in Duden online Totschlag on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de