# Is there a single word, in any language (incl dead lang): 1kill/die in battle 2die in childbirth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438 "2014-02-27T19:05:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/21 "2014-02-27T23:45:17Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s not what he says. The “2” just indicates it’s the second of two words he’s asking for. (Of course, it would take some effort to write an OP that is less clear about what’s being asked.;)) My original interpretation was: 1st kid dies in battle 2nd kid dies in childbirth Although this doesn’t make as much sense as some of the other suggestions - I agree with you it would be hard to write an OP that is less clear - but still kinda draws a picture in your mind 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/22 "2014-02-27T23:49:18Z")
Chinese: 战死 - zhànsǐ - to die in battle, death in battle Japanese: 戦死 - senshi - to die in battle, death in battle It’s essentially the same word. I can’t, off the top of my head, think of a single word to mean to die in childbirth. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/23 "2014-02-28T00:13:02Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > My original interpretation was: > > 1st kid dies in battle > 2nd kid dies in childbirth Generally, “dying in childbirth” means the mother dying. The child dying is “dying at birth”. ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/24 "2014-02-28T00:13:31Z")
In French, a baby who dies while being born is called “mort-né” (literally “dead-born”). To my knowledge, there is no single word for dying in battle; we say “mort au combat” (“dead in battle”) or “tombé au combat” (“fallen in battle”). ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/25 "2014-02-28T00:28:12Z")
I _think_ that the Swedish verb “stupa” originally meant “to die in battle”. ETA: It is certainly one of its meanings, even today, though not the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/26 "2014-02-28T01:29:05Z")
Hello again… 2nd event: A woman who dies in the act or hard upon giving birth. Don’t give a damn about the kid. ::retreats avoiding thrown vegetables:: Also, always listen to the walrus. Also, **Johnny** , hit us with some Latin… ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/27 "2014-02-28T02:02:48Z")
Your question is still unclear. Are you looking for one word that fits both situations or a different word for each? And 1) Are you looking for “To kill another in battle” or “To die in battle”? And is 2) A verb “To die giving birth” or the noun form of a woman who suffers this? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/28 "2014-02-28T02:32:20Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > … A woman who dies in the act or hard upon giving birth. … what? /lobs a tomato i think the OP is a relevant example of why sometimes, there shouldn’t be a single word to express a sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/29 "2014-02-28T02:57:54Z")
[QUOTE=Intelligently Designed] In French, a baby who dies while being born is called “mort-né” (literally “dead-born”). [/QUOTE] Doesn’t have to die \*while \*being delivered - any baby dead on arrival, for any reason, is mort-né (stillborn). Some do die during delivery, but more commonly the baby dies _in utero_ for one reason or another and has to be delivered anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/30 "2014-02-28T03:18:16Z")
Mortalparturition. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/31 "2014-02-28T03:56:18Z")
Also stillborn. So no word in English to cover the mother, but one for the child. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/32 "2014-02-28T12:03:05Z")
Mmm, I wonder if Mayan has a word that means _both_? People who die in battle and mothers who die in childbirth were part of the special class that got to go direct to heaven in Mayan mythology, and I wonder if there was a special word for that? ETA; I see the Aztecs, at least, had [a name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cihuateteo) for the mothers’ _spirits_ in Nahuatl. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/33 "2014-02-28T12:06:20Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Mmm, I wonder if Nahuatl has a word that means _both_? People who die in battle and mothers who die in childbirth were part of the special class that got to go direct to heaven in Mayan mythology, and I wonder if there was a special word for that? > > ETA; I see the Aztecs, at least, had [a name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cihuateteo) for the mothers’ _spirits_. Yeah, I first thought the OP was looking for a word that meant _both_ die/dead in battle _and_ die/dead in childbirth. Lumping together both fallen warriors and fallen mothers in the same, presumably highly revered, category. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/34 "2014-02-28T13:32:16Z")
Rand el’Torr’s mother died while giving birth to him AND at the same exact time fighting in a war. Is that what the OP means? Falling in battle whilst giving birth. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/35 "2014-02-28T13:35:46Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Rand el’Torr’s mother died while giving birth to him AND at the same exact time fighting in a war. Is that what the OP means? Falling in battle whilst giving birth. No, that’s not what the OP means. Re-read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/36 "2014-02-28T14:07:02Z")
If only there was a series of words that accurately described the question the OP is asking. Alas, the OP hath not found it. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/37 "2014-02-28T14:34:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > If only there was a series of words that accurately described the question the OP is asking. Or even just _one_ word. Or two. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/38 "2014-02-28T14:44:09Z")
In German, you could say “Schlachtentod” for death in a battle of war, and “Kindsbetttod” for death of the mother in childbirth. Both words are rare, the first mostly used poetically, ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/39 "2014-02-28T15:22:43Z")
> [@Anaglyph](#): > > In German, you could say “Schlachtentod” for death in a battle of war, and “Kindsbetttod” for death of the mother in childbirth. Both words are rare, the first mostly used poetically, Which makes me think about collocations, and I think French has one in common in English actually : you can die, croak, perish, kick the bucket, keel over, “leave”, go to a better place, buy the farm, lose your life or pass on just about anywhere ; but you only ever “fall” in battle, don’t you ? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438/40 "2014-02-28T15:44:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > If only there was a series of words that accurately described the question the OP is asking. Alas, the OP hath not found it. OK, that was funny. Seriously, **Leo** , would it kill you to write a clearer OP? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-single-word-in-any-language-incl-dead-lang-1kill-die-in-battle-2die-in-childbirth/682438.md?page=3)