Some sources including Wikipedia define electrocution as “death or serious injury caused by electric shock.” However “electrify” is rarely if ever used to describe any sort of electric shock. It’s more used to describe a line or material that has electric voltage and/or current running through it.
Correct, some sources do say that, in BrE we say electric shock, perhaps in AmE electrocution is a generic term, but that’s bizzare, the word is a amalgamation of electricity and execution, since when is execution non lethal? In french we use électrisé and electrocutes to make the distinction.
A lot of words evolve beyond their etymological origin and aren’t 1:1 between languages, so it’s never good to assume a word that appears to be the same in another language has exactly the same meaning. To my knowledge, electrify is never used in either British or American English to describe unintentionally shocking a person with electricity. Electrocution on the other hand is commonly used to describe electric shock whether or not it was intentional or causes death.
Some sources including Wikipedia define electrocution as “death or serious injury caused by electric shock.” However “electrify” is rarely if ever used to describe any sort of electric shock. It’s more used to describe a line or material that has electric voltage and/or current running through it.
Correct, some sources do say that, in BrE we say electric shock, perhaps in AmE electrocution is a generic term, but that’s bizzare, the word is a amalgamation of electricity and execution, since when is execution non lethal? In french we use électrisé and electrocutes to make the distinction.
A lot of words evolve beyond their etymological origin and aren’t 1:1 between languages, so it’s never good to assume a word that appears to be the same in another language has exactly the same meaning. To my knowledge, electrify is never used in either British or American English to describe unintentionally shocking a person with electricity. Electrocution on the other hand is commonly used to describe electric shock whether or not it was intentional or causes death.
Fair comment