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last words

{{Short description|Final words attributed to a person before their death}}

{{About|the medical phenomenon of last words|last words of famous people|List of last words|other uses|Last words (disambiguation)}}

Last words are the final utterances before death. The meaning is sometimes expanded to somewhat earlier utterances.

Last words of famous or infamous people are sometimes recorded (although not always accurately), which then became a historical and literary trope. According to Karl Guthke, last words as recorded in public documents are reflections of the social attitude toward death at the time, rather than reports of actual statements. Published last words may reflect words that the dying person's intimates or supporters wished were their final testament.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Actual last words are typically less grandiose than those attributed to historical figures, and are also rarely published. Dying people frequently suffer delirium, diminished mental acuity, inability to speak clearly, or some combination of the three. McLeod said people near death do not normally remain mentally clear. Some do not speak before their death. "People will whisper, and they'll be brief, single words – that's all they have energy for."

Actual final utterances are often short or difficult to interpret. Diminished breathing can limit volume, and medications, lack of energy, dry mouth, and the absence of dentures can also frustrate communication. Last words are commonly the names of spouses or children, or banal utterances such as "Mama" and "Oh, fuck".

See also

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/01/how-do-people-communicate-before-death/580303/ |url-access=subscription |accessdate=January 8, 2021 |title=What People Actually Say Before They Die |author=Michael Erard |date=January 16, 2019 |work=The Atlantic}}, republished at [https://getpocket.com/explore/item/what-people-actually-say-before-they-die Getpocket]

Maureen Keeley, quoted at {{cite web |url=https://www.advisory.com/en/daily-briefing/2019/01/30/final-words |title=What do dying people really say? 'Mama,' curse words, and more |author= |date=January 30, 2019 |publisher=Advisory Board |accessdate=January 10, 2021}}

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Further reading

  • {{cite book |last=Smartt |first=Lisa |title=Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We're Nearing Death |year=2017 |publisher=New World Library |isbn=978-1608684601}}
  • {{cite book |last=Moody |first=Raymond A. |title=Life After Life |year=2015 |publisher=HarperOne |isbn=9780062428905}}
  • {{cite journal |author=Miki, Namba, etc. |title=Terminal delirium: families' experience |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17942497/#affiliation-1 |journal=Palliative Medicine |volume= 21|issue= 7|pages=587–594 |date=October 2007 |doi=10.1177/0269216307081129 |pmid=17942497 |s2cid=24219129 |access-date=}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Callanan |first1=Maggie |last2=Kelley |first2=Patricia |title=Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying |url= |year=2012 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn= 978-1451667257}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Keeley |first1=Maureen |last2=Yingling |first2=Julie |title=Final Conversations: Helping the Living and the Dying Talk to Each Other |url= |year=2007 |publisher=Vanderwyk & Burnham |isbn=978-1889242309}}
  • {{cite journal |last=MacDonald |first=Arthur |date=October 1921 |title=Death-Psychology of Historical Personages |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1413774 |journal=The American Journal of Psychology |volume=32 |issue=4 |pages=552–556 |doi=10.2307/1413774 |jstor=1413774 |access-date=January 8, 2021|url-access=subscription }}