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Comment by bityard | Hacker News Reader

"Electrocute" is a portmanteau of "electricity" and "execute".

Sure, but in practice it's used to mean just being electrically shocked. Words aren't tied to the meaning implied by their etymology.

In French we have two words, "électrisation" for non-lethal shock and "électrocution" for when death occurs.

Most people I know still use "éléctrocuté" to describe what happens to them when they get shocked from an electrical outlet.

I do not find that to be the case in practice, I occasionally here it used like that, but consider it misuse.

I suspect a dictionary might accept it as an 'informal' alternative to the main 'death by' definition.

No need to speculate on what a dictionary might say. We can actually consult one. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute

Thank you - it did feel a little silly to type, but I didn't care to search online, nor to get up.

Laziness subsided, my Collins (complete, 2016) - which is a rather accepting dictionary of new-fangled words or usages - has only two definitions, both involving death. (1. to kill as a result of electric shock; 2. (US) to execute in an electric chair).

The etymology of a word is a useful signal but it should not be mistaken to be the definition in actual usage by speakers.

If we're going purely by etymology, what does a suitcase have to do with electricity?

TIL. What other commonly understood words are portmanteaus?

Taxicab (taximeter/cabriolet), brunch (breakfast/lunch), spork (spoon/fork), Eurasia (Europe/Asia), Brexit (Britain/exit).

Portmanteau

You'll see them all over now.

chortle (chuckle/snort) podcast (ipod/broadcast) newscast (news/broadcast) sportscaster (sports/broadcaster) motel (motor/hotel) email (electronic/mail) blog (web/log) bit (binary/digit) chunnel (channel/tunnel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portmanteaus

Smog is a big one most people don't think about (smoke/fog).

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