Euthanasia

Origin of the word EUTHANASIA:

Euthanasia basically means an easy way of dying. This is at times a need of people who are suffering from extreme disease and have no chance of recovery. As a method to escape the suffering, they wish to be killed. In simple terms, this is known as Mercy Killing (to kill someone out of mercy for his condition).

The word Euthanasia has Greek origins. It comes from the Greek prefix eu, well or easily, and thanatos, death. This translates to the modern day meaning of putting hopeless invalid to death painlessly. Thanatos, in Greek mythology, was the personification of death. Thanatos was twin brother of sleep and the son of the night. We can actually see the mythical overlay in these relationships, with death being an extension of sleep and night.

The dictionary definitions for EUTHANASIA are as follows:
1. The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment (noun).
2. Painless death (noun).

Masters Tip to remember EUTHANASIA:
Learn this word from the syringe (as shown in the word poster). Make it the symbol of death for learning purposes.

Usage Examples for EUTHANASIA:
1. However, the main reason most patients want euthanasia is not because of pain, which can often be managed these days through pharmaceuticals. – http://lawiscool.com
2. The word “euthanasia” was first used in a medical context by Francis Bacon in the 17th century, to refer to an easy, painless, happy death, during which it was a “physician’s responsibility to alleviate the ‘physical sufferings’ of the body.”- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia

The Wikipedia link on euthanasia is a must read.