thanatology

Term: thanatology

Literally meaning: “study of death”

Origin: Anc Greek

θάνατος/thanatos(=death) >  θνήσκω/thnisko(=die), θείνω/theino(=smite, kill).

λογία)/-logia(=logy, suffix meaning “study of”, “speech”, “discourse”) > λέω/leo (=speak).

Coined/History

by Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff in the early 1900s in order to establish a scientific discipline devoted to the study of death as an academic field.

Definition

Thanatology is the scientific study of death and dying including mstudies on medical changes in the body during dying and deathbed visions.