A man was electrocuted and killed whilst trying to steal electrical cable in Lashio, northern Shan State on the morning of 24 July.
    • toastio@midwest.social
      153·
      1 year ago

      Could have just been injured. Electrocution doesn’t always mean death.

      According to Miriam-Webster, the definition of electrocuted is:

      to kill or severely injure by electric shock

      • ThatWeirdGuy1001
        1316·
        1 year ago

        It did until people kept misusing it like this.

        It’s a combination of electricity and execution. If you survived you were just shocked. If you died you were electrocuted.

        • toastio@midwest.social
          103·
          1 year ago

          Interesting. I never knew that about it’s etymology.

          I just looked it up quickly and it seems to be way more nuanced than that. According to at least one article, it was used prior to the first electrical execution in 1899 as a means of referring to a non-fatal shock.

          https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wc/electrocution-a-shocking-misuse/

          Either way, I think it’s splitting hairs. It’s common and acceptable usage anymore to use that term meaning a non-fatal shock. So the clarification in the title doesn’t come across as redundant to me.

          • dave@feddit.uk
            23·
            1 year ago

            Just because people have been wrong since 1899, it doesn’t mean we should put up with it.

            It’s becoming, as they say, a big of a problem.

        • Questy@lemmy.world
          2·
          1 year ago

          I also had no idea that this was the meaning. Since I electrocuted myself with a fork and an outlet as a child I have the cool feature of being undead. Dope.