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Discussion Groups / British English / August 2008killer, assassin and murderer
hello all, please explain me, what's the difference between these three synonyms: killer, assassin and murderer? for example in the movie "unforgiven" in the beginning the titles say that Clint's hero was a murderer and later on his dead friend was signed as an assassin. AN >hello all, >please explain me, what's the difference between these three synonyms: >killer, assassin and murderer? A "killer" is one who kills, in whatever circumstances. He is a "murderer" if the killing was unlawful (or, more precisely, it was deliberate and intentional, or as otherwise defined by the laws of the country concerned). He is an "assassin" if it was politically motivated (and probably regarded as murder also, at least in the country where it happened).  SignatureCharles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------ Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl Email: chl@clerew.man.ac.uk Snail: 5 Clerewood Ave, CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K. PGP: 2C15F1A9 Fingerprint: 73 6D C2 51 93 A0 01 E7 65 E8 64 7E 14 A4 AB A5 > please explain me, what's the difference between these three > synonyms: > killer, assassin and murderer? If they were synonyms, there would be no difference... The OED reveals that a killer is one who deprives another creature of life, a murderer is one who *unlawfully* kills another *person*, and an assassin is (chiefly) the murderer of a *public* personage, generally hired for or devoted to the deed. The Assassin (a plural noun meaning hashish-eaters) were certain Muslim fanatics in the time of the Crusades, who were sent forth by their sheikh, the 'Old Man of the Mountains,' to murder the Christian leaders. SignatureNoel >> please explain me, what's the difference between these three synonyms: >> killer, assassin and murderer? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > forth by their sheikh, the 'Old Man of the Mountains,' to murder the > Christian leaders. ... and also other Muslim leaders he was in conflict with. REgards, Einde O'Callaghan 19:27, lunedì 28 luglio 2008, dorris26: > please explain me, what's the difference between these three > synonyms: killer, assassin and murderer? And what about "homicide"? Signature°¿° > 19:27, lunedì 28 luglio 2008, dorris26: > >> please explain me, what's the difference between these three >> synonyms: killer, assassin and murderer? > > And what about "homicide"? Homicide is simply the killing of a human being - this may or may not be lawful, e.g. killing in self-defence is homicide but it is not unlawful. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan >> 19:27, lunedì 28 luglio 2008, dorris26: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > not be lawful, e.g. killing in self-defence is homicide but it is > not unlawful. This sort of thing is a real time-waster. OED's first definition is 'One who kills a human being'; the act comes second. So far we can state that all assassins are murderers, all murderers are homicides and all homicides are killers, but not all killers are homicides, not all homicides are murderers and not all murderers are assassins. SignatureNoel 13:00, giovedì 31 luglio 2008, Ildhund: > "Einde O'Callaghan" <einde.ocallaghan@planet-interkom.de> >>> 19:27, lunedì 28 luglio 2008, dorris26: [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > not all killers are homicides, not all homicides are murderers > and not all murderers are assassins. Please correct me, I am trying to understand. killer: a person who deliberately cause the death of an animal; homicide: a killer of a person (human been); murderer: a homicide acting out of law; assassin: a murderer acting on a person who is well known by most other persons. In Italian there isn't such distinction between murderer and assassin. I've read that persons killed by the State of Texas through death penalty are classified with "homicide" as cause of their death. Signature°¿° > 13:00, giovedì 31 luglio 2008, Ildhund: >> "Einde O'Callaghan" <einde.ocallaghan@planet-interkom.de> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > killer: a person who deliberately cause the death of an animal; Not just animals - a killer might also kill a human being > homicide: a killer of a person (human been); > murderer: a homicide acting out of law; > assassin: a murderer acting on a person who is well known by > most other persons. There is usually a political motive for an assassination. > In Italian there isn't such distinction between murderer and > assassin. > > I've read that persons killed by the State of Texas through > death penalty are classified with "homicide" as cause of their > death. This would be logical, but I can't confirm it. REgards, Einde O'Callaghan > 13:00, giovedì 31 luglio 2008, Ildhund: >> "Einde O'Callaghan" <einde.ocallaghan@planet-interkom.de> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > In Italian there isn't such distinction between murderer and > assassin. This may (or may not) explain why it was easy to translate "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" into Italian: there was already a word for "vampire slayer"... French and German presented more of a problem... SignatureJohn Briggs 01:34, venerdì 1 agosto 2008, John Briggs: >> killer: a person who deliberately cause the death of an >> animal; homicide: a killer of a person (human been); [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" into Italian: there was already a > word for "vampire slayer"... What word do you mean? > French and German presented more of a problem... My old dictionary says that "slayer", and "to slay", are "archaic or poetic or american", the first meaning killer or murderer. That TV series was translated in Italian as "Buffy l'ammazzavampiri". German: "Buffy ? Im Bann der Dämonen" French: "Buffy contre les vampires" (wikipedia) Signature°¿° > homicide: a killer of a person (human been); Hmm. A living person is a human being. I suppose a person who has been killed *ought* to be a human 'been'. SignatureAlan Pemberton Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England To e-mail me directly, please visit <http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/index.html#Mail-me> |
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