[Ads-l] Antedating of "Cold War" in General Sense

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 11:05:01AM -0400, Laurence Horn wrote:
> "Japanese duel" seems more like a
> reference to hara-kiri and/or seppuku (I've never understood the
> difference, assuming there is one).

While both terms etymologically denote cutting the belly, traditionally _hara-kiri_ refers to the act of disembowelment itself, while _seppuku_ refers to the entire suicide ceremony, which includes the disembowelment but usually ends with decapitation by one's second.

Jesse Sheidlower

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