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Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios
Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios
How Did Execute Come to Mean Kill?
Q&A

How Did Execute Come to Mean Kill?

Also, would we modern speakers understand Middle English?

John McWhorter's avatar
John McWhorter
Mar 12, 2022
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Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios
Lexicon Valley from Booksmart Studios
How Did Execute Come to Mean Kill?
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An 18th century depiction of a firing squad by artist Gerard van Schagen.

Raviv U. asks why execute means to carry something out and also to kill someone. Good question.

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