mortal
noun
Mortal — a human being, named for the certainty of death
Definition
A human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
In depth
A mortal is a human being considered specifically in light of their eventual death, a word that frames personhood not by capacity or dignity but by the single shared fact that all human life ends. It is a word borrowed from myth and elevated speech, where humans are often defined precisely by contrast with the gods, who are not.
Origin
The word descends from Latin mortalis, subject to death, built on mors, death itself — the same root behind 'mortality,' 'mortuary,' and 'immortal.' Its long use in classical literature to distinguish gods from humans has left an indelible mark on the word, so that even in modern English it rarely appears without summoning, faintly, the old machinery of myth.
Usage examples
"The oracle warned that no mere mortal could look upon the goddess and survive."
"He had begun to feel, in his final illness, intensely and inescapably mortal."
"We are all mortals here, the old priest reminded the gathered mourners, however much we forget it in the meantime."
How to use it
Mortal carries an elevated, often archaic or mythic tone and suits poetry, religious writing, and prose interested in confronting death directly rather than euphemistically. It can sound overwrought in casual contexts, where 'person' or 'human' would serve more naturally.
Related concepts
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