self-immolation
UK[ˌself ɪməˈleɪʃən]US[ˌself ɪməˈleɪʃən]
n
The act of killing yourself as a political or religious protest by setting yourself on fire.
n
The act of destroying yourself or your own interests for a cause or principle.
Morpheme Breakdown
self
immolation
self
one
immolation
to sacrifice, to sprinkle with sacrificial meal
Etymology
The word is a modern compound, formed from the English reflexive pronoun 'self' and the Latinate noun 'immolation'. 'Immolation' itself originates from the Latin verb 'immolare', which literally meant 'to sprinkle with (mola salsa) sacred meal', a key ritual act in ancient Roman sacrifices. Over time, its meaning generalized from the ritual preparation to the entire act of sacrificial killing. The prefix 'self-' was added in the 20th century to specify that the sacrificial act is performed upon oneself, creating a term that starkly combines the ancient concept of ritual sacrifice with the modern political or religious act of protest suicide by fire.
Analysis
Structure: self + immolation
self: Old English. A prefix meaning 'one's own person'.
immolation: Latin. A noun derived from 'immolare', meaning 'to sacrifice, to sprinkle with sacrificial meal'.
Examples
The monk's act of self-immolation shocked the world and drew international attention to the crisis.
Her dedication to the cause bordered on self-immolation, as she sacrificed her career and personal relationships.
The protest was marked by several tragic incidents of self-immolation in the public square.