Manslaughter
/ˈmænˌslɔːtər/noun
The unlawful killing of a person without the malice required for murder.
Did you know?The second half comes from Old English *slæht* (“killing, striking”), the same ancient root behind *slay*—so the word is basically an old Germanic death formula preserved in law.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
manslæht
“the killing of a man; homicide”
Middle English
ME
manslaughtre
“killing of a person; homicide”
Old English
OE
mann
“person, human being”
Old English
OE
slæht
“a killing, striking, slaughter”
Modern English
English
manslaughter
“the unlawful killing of a person without malice”