Killing
/ˈkɪlɪŋ/noun
The act of causing death.
Did you know?The verb behind *kill* is Germanic, and its deeper relatives spread through words for striking and cutting, showing how English often hides violence in plain sight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kullijaną
“to strike, beat, or kill”
Old English
OE
cyllan
“to kill, slay”
Middle English
ME
killen
“to kill, slay”
14th-15th Century
English
killing
“the act of killing; slaughter”
Modern English
English
killing
“the act of causing death”