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絞刑 (koukei) Japanese meaning: death by hanging | Kotomora

絞こう刑けい

こ

う

け

い

Meanings

1

death by hanging

Formal legal term for execution by hanging; used in criminal law contexts.

絞こう刑けいは、日本にほんでは現げん在ざいも法ほう定てい刑けいの一ひとつである。

Kanji

絞strangle, constrict, wring
刑punish, penalty, sentence

Related words

死し刑けい
死刑 is the general term for 'death penalty', while 絞刑 specifically refers to execution by hanging.
絞こう首しゅ刑けい
絞首刑 is a synonym also meaning 'death by hanging', but 絞刑 is more common in legal texts.

Etymology

Compound of 絞 (strangle) and 刑 (punishment). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of execution by hanging.

Death by hanging is still one of the statutory penalties in Japan.