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)
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Totschlag m (strong, genitive Totschlags or Totschlages, plural Totschläge)

  1. (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

Declension of Totschlag [masculine, strong]
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

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

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